And memories weigh more than stone
by ThreeMagpies
Summary: A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson, mention of other characters incl. Miles Matheson, Rachael Matheson, Aaron Pittman, the Nano & the Patriots…Charloe. Set a few days after 'A holiday in New Xanadu'. Bass is having nightmares, and Charlie wants to help him, they also find help on the road from a very surprising source. Rating M…
1. Chapter 1

**And memories weigh more than stone **

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson with mention of regular characters from the show including Miles Matheson, Rachael Matheson, Aaron Pittman, the Nano and the Patriots… This is a follow on from my earlier story 'A holiday in New Xanadu'. Charloe.

Rating M…

**Summary:** It is several days after Bass and Charlie became lovers in a hidden place called New Xanadu. They are once again on the road to Willoughby and are travelling as fast as they can, conscious of time and the constant dangers of the road. Exhaustion is taking its toll and memories of the past are playing on Bass' mind, bringing nightmares – Charlie is determined to turn his bad dreams to good ones. They are also aware of being followed by the Nanotech – and don't know what it will do next...

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for having a look at this… I don't own any part of Revolution unfortunately – I continue to love it though and I find these two characters especially fascinating… and the Nano – I wanted to see what would happen if things started off a bit differently with them… This is a one shot, although I think there will be other related stories… There is an M bit somewhere in the middle – in italics... You'll know when it starts and you can jump over it if you like… A comment or Review would be wonderful if you have a minute to leave one… Cheers, Magpie

…..

…**but in sadness like mine, **

**nothing stirs - new buildings, old **

**neighborhoods turn to allegory,**

**and memories weigh more than stone **(From 'The Swan' by C Beaudelaire, trans: R. Howard )

Now…

Bass and Charlie had been back on the road now for a few days and had been avoiding known settlements as much as possible – living on what they could find as well as the remainder of the supplies provided by the previous owners of the wagon and the generous provisions Petra had given them in New Xanadu – being very careful to avoid the packages marked in code for Rachael's attention that contained samples of Petra's medicinal preparations and her letter asking for Rachael's help…

Very aware of the ever present threat of Patriot patrols, Bounty Hunters and the other assorted dangers – human or otherwise of the road, they travelled for as long and as fast as they could by day along back roads, following rivers and streams when possible, one of them driving, the other on shotgun (or crossbow…). They stopped during the day only to rest the horses, eat a quick midday meal and take care of the necessities - and they divided the nights into two watches – 4-5 hours each to allow each other as much uninterrupted sleep as possible… but they were both becoming increasingly tired and stressed from the ongoing lack of real sleep, the constant need to be alert and were desperately missing the closeness they had enjoyed in the hidden world of Xanadu…

...

It was Charlie's watch and she sat, cross-legged on her rolled out blankets, leaning back against the saddle and cushions that were her pillow, crossbow over her knees, knife at her hip. She gazed out into the dark woods around their camp, a half moon high in the sky, its light obscuring nearby stars… A convoy of feathery clouds floated overhead, edged with mercury silver that slowly moved and faded as each moved past the moon. The campfire was covered with a pot of porridge slowly cooking in the coals for the morning and an occasional bird (Whippoorwill? Screech Owl…?) called out in the distance… One of the horses whickered softly, and something small rustled in the undergrowth nearby… but nothing else disturbed the night as the world turned towards dawn. Charlie took a deep breath, gathering in the mixed scents of grass and trees and wild things – as well as the familiar aromas of the horses, the wagon – and themselves… she blew the breath out through her nose… everything – and everyone - in the camp was smelling just a little ripe, even after their swim and wash in the river that afternoon but they hadn't dared allow themselves much time for the niceties…

She gazed down at Bass; he'd been sleeping next to her for a couple of hours… He actually did fall asleep now – and she loved that he knew she would keep watch over him… Before Xanadu she didn't think he had relaxed enough to sleep properly – or at all – since they left New Vegas… There had been the pool – he'd been tied standing up – hard to sleep like that… then following her to Pottsboro – and after that, once she was mostly over the drugs the creeps had given her in the bar, she knew he'd stayed awake pretty well all the time - half expecting her to stick a knife in him at any chance she got… So for more than a week she figured he'd had little or no sleep…and even for someone like Sebastian Monroe – one of the most resilient men she had ever met - that was a hard call… The trouble was, now that he did sleep, except for the one night they spent in a bed in Xanadu (where to be truthful they'd only slept part of the time…), he dreamed…and they were bad dreams – very bad dreams…

_Before now…_

_The first night after their hurried exit from Xanadu, she hadn't known what to do… it had started when she was halfway through her watch, like tonight, … an arm flung out, a sharp breath, then it was as though he went somewhere terrible, his eyes opened, staring, his arms tensed into his chest, hands contorted into tight fists… and then he sobbed as though his heart was breaking… She had tried to wake him but it was like he couldn't see or feel her… then one of his hands had found the strip of belly skin between her tank top and jeans and he had suddenly relaxed, his hand sliding up her side and back under the tank… and he had gone back to sleep… The next morning she had asked him what had happened and he didn't remember dreaming at all…_

_The second night had been much worse – things had begun the same way but then he had started flailing about, his fists hitting out at something – or someone… then he had yelled out and gone rigid… He had been so still she thought he had stopped breathing… and then it started again… He was shouting something – words she couldn't quite make out but he was so loud that she expected Patriots or wolves or something to come running out of the woods… That night she had taken her shirt off so he could touch her arm and take her hand – that quietened him enough so that he went back to sleep – although he wouldn't let her hand go…so she sat next to him, other hand on her crossbow, tears running down her face, unnoticed... The next morning he said he could remember that he had had a bad dream and that it had stopped when he felt her there but he still couldn't (or wouldn't?) remember or talk about the dreams… She thought she could take a good guess at some of them though - most people living in this blacked out world had enough bad memories to fill their sleep with nightmares night after night – but he had a lot more than most… _

_The third night she waited for it to start and decided that it was safe enough for them for her to take a chance - in fact it was a lot safer for them she thought dryly, if he wasn't shouting… so when she saw his arm start to move she laid her crossbow down – nearby and loaded though - quickly took off her shirt, tank and bra, and sat close to him where she knew his hand would find her… She didn't want to fully wake him - they both needed as much sleep as they could get for the road as well as whatever could be around the next corner… She just wanted to try to divert the dream to something better…to warmth and life… to her… And it had worked to some degree, his fingers had found the warm smooth flesh at her waist, stroked up and around her breast, lingering gently there for a long moment – his palm and fine strong fingers rough on her skin from the long years of handling a sword as well as fighting... then he had sighed heavily, his hand had dropped, searching for and finding hers and he was quiet again…she cried for him that night too…_

_The night after that she had done the same thing… and again having her there in touching distance seemed to help him sleep, but this time she didn't cry… instead she became determined to find a way to help him work through his nightmares – and by the morning after breakfast – while they were sharing some of the excellent coffee given to them for the road by William and Petra in Xanadu, she had decided what she needed to do_…

_ ..._

They were each sitting on one of their low improvised chairs (box, bedroll, cushions – set against the side of the wagon) getting ready to head off for the day and finishing the last of the coffee in the pot… Bass was looking off into the distance over the rim of the pre-blackout steel mug – his mind still wandering through the remnants of dreams… The coffee was steaming and hot – there was no sugar so it was a little bitter for his taste – but it was very, very good, and he was grateful to have it at all, especially with the addition of a little of their dwindling supplies of whiskey… The previous owners of the wagon had obviously considered good whiskey a basic food group and had taken their daily intake very seriously – supplies had lasted quite a while… Bass was very aware that part of his problem with nightmares (although they had been with him a long time…) might have something to do with his use - and abuse - of alcohol… he'd been hitting the bottle hard over the months since the tower, hell, since the blackout, most people had… but the soldier in him - as well as his vanity if he was truthful – much preferred to be in shape, so he was actively cutting back… Especially now that he wasn't fighting in Gould's tent every day to work it off... and even more especially now that he had Charlie with him… She was his priority now and he would make sure she got to Miles – and her mother - in one piece if it was the last thing he ever did… He still drank a little every day, but in his defence, Charlie did too – and it did help to make the long stretches of road go by a little faster for both of them…

They'd had little time to spend on each other in the last few days – even though they had been with each other almost the whole time. There had been a renewed sense of urgency to get to Willoughby; to Miles and the others… and they had both felt too exposed in the open, too cautious of the outside and the possibility of threat… too tense, too tired... He hadn't wanted Charlie to go hunting alone (and she had agreed surprisingly) so they relied on what they could catch close to wherever they camped – because even though Xanadu had ended up being a (very) good thing, it had alerted them to the possibility that there could be other hidden places that might not be so good – as well as the dangers they already knew about… There was also the unnerving knowledge that they were apparently being followed by some sort of mutated manifestation of Rachael and Ben's technology – the same technology that had ended the world as they knew it… There had been no sign as yet of the strange green lights - and the vegetation around them appeared to be behaving perfectly normally – much to his relief - but it was disturbing all the same…

The exhilaration of being with each other in Xanadu, of being somewhere hidden away from all the death and care of the world outside was fading… and he suddenly desperately wanted to be back there with Charlotte beside him… where she had shown him that she trusted him… and where he could watch her laugh in a world when every moment wasn't spent fighting or planning to fight - or hurting, where not everything was about just surviving… He remembered walking with her beside him, seeing her face light up at things created simply to bring people joy, then laughing in his arms – and dancing in that blue skirt… He wanted to be able to give her beautiful things…he wanted her to be safe, to be able to laugh… He sighed heavily and took another mouthful of coffee… The memories of their day and a bit in New Xanadu – especially when she had first come to him in the shower in their room, unexpected and unhoped for (but so very, very welcome), naked and beautiful as the sunrise - provided inspiration for almost every one of his good dreams… but also made the real world seem even darker and more harsh…

His nightmares had returned with a vengeance …the day he found out that his whole family were dead - killed by a drunk driver, or the night of the blackout, when planes fell from the sky and burned like giant torches around them, setting the city on fire…or the day in the survivors camp when his then love Shelley and their newborn baby girl had died together while he stood there, helpless. Then there was the morning he woke up to find the man who was his brother in everything but blood aiming a gun at him… and Emma, dying in his arms – shot by one of Miles' men – after Bass in a white hot rage almost burned his whole town – including her - alive… then finding out from her in her dying breath that he had a son…somewhere… and Jeremy – a friend from the earliest beginnings of the Republic – shot on his order, because in his paranoia he saw conspiracy everywhere… So much killing and fighting, so much death and pain and guilt… and then… there was the tower… and his imagined (but oh so real) visions of Philadelphia, his city, burning in a pillar of fire like the finger of God…

His nightmare angel was spoiled for choice… And now there were new ones waiting in the queue… just as bad as the others if not worse – the ones where he lost Charlotte…and there were so very many ways that he could lose her…

Sometimes he thought that his memories would get so heavy he'd sink under the weight of them… He had tried to drown them out with alcohol and paranoia as General Monroe after Miles had left him alone… and then, in the months after the Tower, drinking, fighting and fucking had become his mantra (with New Vegas his temple…) and it had worked for a while. He had been able to sleep without dreaming if he fought and drank and fucked enough… He knew though, that his nightmares would be back… and that this time they might drive him right over the edge… and some dark, empty part of him might even welcome it… Then Charlie had turned up out of nowhere - and saved him from himself - ironically by trying to kill him and ending up tied to the wall next to him in that empty pool… And her being there meant that there was a way to find Miles… and so he had a mission again, a mission that gave him purpose and a reason to live (until Charlie gave him another – even more compelling) and this time they all had a common enemy, the Patriots… The traitors who ordered Randall Flynn to drop ICBM's on the same country that they asked God to bless in every speech they made…and who had put a bounty not only on him, but also on Rachael and by implication Charlie, and that he couldn't let stand…

Because, by some miracle, when he'd given up believing in those, Charlie had come to feel something for him other than hate, something that had started before they stumbled onto Xanadu and it's sleeping garden but that had flowered there… He didn't quite dare (yet?) to believe that what she felt for him was love…but there was something… and over the last few nights, he had found a little hope… Because when he felt her warm skin on the first night after Xanadu, and he knew she was there with him, the nightmares scattered and fled… and then she had come back on the second night, and the third… and the one after that… She had come back…

But what if Charlie couldn't cope with the dark weight on his soul? What if it was too much…and she left? People he loved had always left him… his family, Shelley, and Miles… Charlotte had so quickly become a part of him, as necessary as breathing… and if she left… He knew that part of him would keep on fighting as long as his body could stand up – that was how he was made… but he'd be fighting without a heart or a soul and that was perhaps the most frightening thing of all… he took another long swig of coffee, the whiskey in it biting at the lump in his throat…

'Bass…?' she glanced at him over her own mug… She was looking a little tired he thought to himself – and worried? Hair a little stringy and less than its usual golden brown glossiness – a side trip to the river would be good – he could help her wash it… 'Bass...!' He blinked… damn, he was tired – spacing out…he yawned and stretched ...then smiled apologetically across at her… 'Sorry Charlie…' he shrugged, 'thinking too much…' she stood up, drained her mug, rinsing it out and putting it to drain near their utensils box…then covered the ground between them in a couple of strides, her belt jangling… it had started to get warm and she was just wearing her tank top and jeans… She stood in front of him, her body like a candle between his thighs… skin smooth and gleaming in the early morning sunlight…eyes a shadowy blue… She smiled down at him 'Hey… you got room for one more down there…?' he looked up at her, squinting a little against the light… 'I'll always have room for you Charlotte…' She tipped her head, smile suddenly full of mischief, her dimple flashing 'I'm going to hold you to that one, Bass Monroe…', she placed her hands on his shoulders and swung her legs to straddle him, wriggling forward until she was snug against him…and suddenly the morning was looking a whole lot better…

He finished his coffee in a quick swallow and set the mug down…out of long habit scanning the area for sounds, smells, sights that didn't belong…but finding nothing, wrapped both arms around her in a hug that felt so right and good that his heart seemed to leap into his throat… He sucked in then let out a deep breath and felt some of his tension and tiredness and dark thoughts drift away... She bent down to meet his waiting lips in a kiss that became a long, dizzying promise and an affirmation…

Charlie eventually broke away with a slow sigh and her eyes danced down at him… her hands roaming over the broad shoulders and flat planes and ripples of his chest and abs…'I wish we were somewhere we could do this properly…' she breathed, and he chuckled, the vibration of it rippling against her body… his growing hardness against her making her squirm 'So do I, but I'm not complaining Charlie…' His fingers roved over her firm denim clad ass cheeks, thumbs finding and stroking that little bare strip of skin between jeans and top…she grinned down and circled her hips over him, making them both take a breath…

'_In the meantime though…' and sliding back a little along his thighs, she reached down with a slim hand to undo the buttons of his jeans… His eyes followed her tanned fingers as they worked quickly at freeing him, hard now and achingly ready, from his denim prison… She pushed the fly of his jeans apart, hooking the loose elastic of his underpants under his balls, pushing them proudly up…. He took a sharp breath in and she smiled in satisfaction as she watched his face – his blue eyes glazed, intent on what she was doing…'You look amazing Bass…' she said, her mouth suddenly dry…'I love how you look all the time but…you look so…damn amazing' her thumb and fingers circled his cock, sliding up and down over the velvety hardness with firm strokes, her other hand snaking down and under to gently play with his balls… He took a deep jagged breath in… '…Oh my…Charlie…' She let go of him… her fingers gently slipping over the head of his cock as they went making him jump, thighs tensing under and he gasped again and raised his eyes to hers – intense blues dancing around pupils pinned small in the morning light… _

_She held his gaze as she leaned back a little, running her hands up over the outside of her tank top one at a time to her shoulders, pushing the straps down so that her breasts spilled over the top of her bra, the nipples rosy… her shoulders framed and caught by the straps… He smiled happily and licked his lips… 'A sweet hello again to two of my favourite things…' she leaned forward so he could reach better and he caught a nipple between his lips and teeth, licking and biting gently…his hands running hard up from her hips, up her sides, one tightening the straps around her shoulders from the back pushing her breasts out of the cups of her bra just a little more, the other hand playing with the yet un-kissed nipple before sliding down to the vee of her crotch, twisting around, his fingers cupping and stroking her through her jeans… He undid the buttons and worked his hand inside, finding her shamelessly wet curls and folds with his fingers, sliding his middle finger up inside; his thumb finding her clitoris, pressing and circling… Charlie's back arched and she took a sharp breath… _

_He brought his other hand down to her ass, pulling her a little further towards him, licking and nibbling over her other nipple before pulling his head back so he could look down to where his hand was playing with her… A light scattering of curls a little darker than her hair framed his fingers; little strands clinging and dancing as his finger moved through her folds… He pulled out of her then pushed back in… pumping gently… as his thumb continued its circling assault…'Bass…' she gasped, her thighs and butt tensing… he pulled fingers and hand away, leaving her rigid and panting with need… her hands fell to his shoulders, hanging on for support… breath coming harder… 'Stand up Charlotte…' he said, voice low and rasping… _

_She stood, legs tense and shaking, hands still on his shoulders… Bass leaned forward to work her tight jeans down over her ass and hips, down and over her knees to her ankles… her feet ending up trapped together by the folds of material. He stepped his booted feet over her bunched up jeans and ran his hands back up her legs, pulling her knees towards him so she sat back with a thump onto the saddle of his thighs, her legs spreading out until he could see her folds, swelling proudly between his thighs and their own frame of curls… a glistening treasure… _

_She took a sharp breath in… 'Bass…' he looked back up to where her nipples and breasts jutted out over her bra and the tank, then up further to her gorgeous face, tense with anticipation and lust… He chuckled and said 'I love looking at you too Charlie…' her fingers tightened harder on the taut muscles of his shoulders, nails digging into the skin …'I'm really, really glad about that Bass… but I so need you to fuck me now…' he grinned… 'How much Charlie…?' He slid his hands up and around the cheeks of her ass, his forearms framing her hips with hard strength… She could feel the muscles in his arms flexing as he pulled her towards him over his denim covered thighs, the material rough, catching against her skin…and when she looked down she could see herself, her legs spread wide, her folds open over his thighs – his cock, hard and ready, framed in the soft blue of his jeans, waiting for her… _

_She licked her lips… and he lifted his eyes, blazing blue, to meet hers…'how much do you want me to fuck you Charlotte?' he asked her again in a rough whisper... She swallowed 'More than anything, Bass…I want you to fuck me a whole lot…' his eyes promised just that '… just what I had in mind Charlotte…' he used one of his booted feet to pull her denim wrapped ankles towards him, lifting her ass at the same time…positioning her over the head of his cock and gently lowering her down over his length, spreading her out around him until she was so full… She almost came apart at that…her knees giving way… But then he showed her just how strong he was – lifting and moving her up and down over him at a pace that had them both gasping … he licked and sucked on her breasts and she ran her fingers through his hair and down over his shoulders and arms…and he moved her onto him over and over until he felt her ripple around him and fall, panting, her head dropping to his shoulder, then he sent a final thrust deep into the tight, slippery warmth of her and felt himself go too_…

After a little while, Bass took a deep breath and grinned… feeling better than he had in days… He gently nudged Charlie, who was draped over him, limp and boneless, and she reluctantly slid back over his knees and stood up…carefully, her feet were all caught up…and he had to untangle his too… He reached up to pull her back down for a kiss…and her hands quickly dropped to his thighs to stop her falling back onto him (although she was tempted…) 'Charlotte…' he gave her the smile she loved…'you are wonderful and beautiful and you have made my day…' she chuckled, her dimple flashing… 'I think we need to do that more often Bass… I've missed you…' she kissed him again and he caught her hips to steady her just before she toppled over sideways… 'Oops…' they laughed together and she took his hands for support to stand up again between his thighs…'Bass, I know we have to be careful, and I want to get to Willoughby too…' her eyes, deep and gentle, held his…'but, we're alive, Bass and together, and that's something wonderful…' he nodded, weaving his fingers through hers, too full to speak…then he smiled…

...

Bass sat back to watch as she bent over to pull her jeans up from around her boots… 'Its a terrible shame to cover up such a lovely ass so soon Charlotte…' he said with a wicked grin and she laughed back at him 'It'll give you something to think about on the road Bass – my ass sitting next to you…only a thin pair of jeans between it and the bench…' Then she started rearranging her tank top, and he groaned sadly… 'There's no one to see you around here but me Charlotte – couldn't you leave them out…' she gave him that one sided grin with the raised eyebrow – the 'really?' one…'Only if you let me drive…' She had to laugh at the torn look on his face... 'Tell you what Monroe… I'll save them as a treat…' she wrinkled her nose and reached over to put a finger on his lips…'maybe I'll give you a peek every few miles…but only if you try not to find every pothole in the road like you did yesterday…' he pulled her back onto his lap and she laughed up at him with lips full from his kisses and eyes a sun filled hazy blue 'Hey…now that wasn't my fault…' he said, '… maybe we should complain to the Patriots – they want to run the country, they can fix the damn roads…'

She laughed again…and leaned her head back on his shoulder, sighing happily… He kissed her ear, nibbling at the lobe… 'That felt so good Bass…I think we both needed something good…but I need to ask you something…' She shifted her weight a little and he knew what was coming… 'Bass…?' he sighed, and dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose… she squirmed a little, making his still sensitive cock jump … 'Yes Charlie…?' his voice came out with a slight hitch.

She sat up straighter, 'You need to tell me what's wrong Bass…' she turned shadowed blue eyes up to his and he flinched at the concern and worry there, his heart (and everything else) sinking… 'Is it…is it something to do with me…?' she asked quietly… he sighed again… 'You are the best and most important thing in my life, Charlotte Matheson…' his arms tightened around her… 'And sometimes I dream about all the ways that I could lose you…' She looked into him with those eyes 'I dream about you too…like that… sometimes…but Bass…' she lifted a hand to his face, stroking his beard then moving to the dusty curls at the back of his neck… 'I have you now and you have me…and its good…and even though I think we're all probably going to die sometime soon…' she shrugged, eyes ironic, a small sad grin shaping her lips…'at least we'll have had something special in the meantime… a lot of people don't ever have that…' Bass tilted her chin up and slanted another kiss on her full lips… then a quote came to mind, an attempt to lighten her mood… 'And we'll always have New Xanadu kid…' his voice was pitched low and gruff…She tilted her head, eyes puzzled, lips twitching 'What…?' He gazed down at her, still gently holding her chin…'It's a take on a quote from a very old movie Charlie, although I really hope that our story doesn't end the way that one did… I want to end up with the girl…' she leaned back away from him, 'what girl?' she demanded… 'You, Charlotte...' he laughed and kissed her again, apologetic…'…and only you… I sometimes forget that you might not remember things…' She was still for a moment, thinking… 'It's Casablanca isn't it? Aaron told us the story a few times…'

She looked up then and held his gaze, her eyes very serious… 'Don't you dare do something like that to me Bass, don't you even think about giving me up just because you think it's the right thing to do…' she saw a shadow cross his face… 'I mean it … that isn't just your choice to make now – I have a say in it…' she reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand… 'I don't have anyone else who just wants me… and there's no one else I want more than you…' he took a deep breath and let it out… ', Charlotte…' he pulled her back into his arms…his chest warm and broad against her… 'It's just…I've got a hell's load of demons inside me…and…sometimes they try to get out… and It's such a big load to lay on you…' She ran her hands over the hard muscled arms holding on to her as though she was the centre of his world... 'I've got demons too Bass – but maybe you and I don't have to fight them all on our own any more …' he was silent for such a long time that she thought she could be wrong – maybe he couldn't accept that she would help – not leave him…like Miles left him she suddenly realised… 'I'm not Miles, Bass…' she gripped his hands with hers 'I'm so much more stubborn than Miles…' she pushed it even further… 'You ask him when you see him…' then she wondered if she had gone too far bringing her uncle into it…

She felt his chest rise and fall with a deep breath… 'I've been alone so long Charlie…and so much has happened…it might take a little while for me to…' his voice was low and hesitant…he sighed and pulled her even tighter against him… 'It's going to take a little while for me to really believe that I'm not…' she gave him a small smile and patted him on the arm…'I can understand that, Bass, and we'll work on it, ok…?' she held his eyes with hers…'And just so you know, tonight and every night from now on until the nightmares stop, when I see you start to have a bad dream – and I've watched you so I know how they start… I'll make sure we're safe, then I'll come and wrap myself around you and you'll feel me there, and after that the only dreams you'll have will be good ones, of me, and only me…ok?' He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes all the blues of a summer sky after rain - then he took a deep breath and let it out…'that sounds… a lot better than ok, Charlotte…'

…..

They drove for most of that day - well Bass drove mostly… although Charlie insisted on doing some of it, she wanted him to see her as a partner… She understood his need to keep and protect what he cared about (loved?) and saw as his – it was a trait they had in common, but she was smart and capable, someone he could work with and depend on to do her part – she needed to show him that she could be that for him too. Things were still so new between them – and it wasn't that long ago that her main focus had been on the best way to kill him… But she had learned a lot about him since then, and she was a Matheson, she wasn't afraid of hard work or a challenge… Some things, some people, were worth it…Bass was worth it…

They took a detour from the road to camp near the river – and without looking too hard found a deep pool with a bit of level ground nearby for the wagon. After scouting the area, securing the wheels of the wagon with chocks and tethering the horses they set up camp for the night. The evening meal was set to cooking over the fire and they got ready for a bath and a swim. 'Bass…?' Charlie called out, impatient… 'Yes Charlie…?' his voice came floating from behind the wagon while she was waiting by the pool, getting ready to be naked…'What are you doing?' she said, indignant… 'I thought you were going to help me wash my hair?' 'I'll be there in a minute Charlie…' he called back… 'Just had to settle the horses…something's spooked them…' She stopped laying out the soap and shampoo that Petra and Jen had given them…they also had provided some towels (in a soft cotton – a real luxury these days…) and walked quickly up to the wagon to meet him, fastening her belt again, checking the hang of her knife, tying the thigh strap and dipping to pick up her crossbow and quiver, 'do you want to do another sweep Bass?'

...…..…..

The Nano assembly, which was circling above and out of visual range, had been keeping watch over the humans below since their departure from the underground compound the residents called New Xanadu… Over the last several days, It/they had diverted (disposal had been identified as sub-optimal as it could attract rather than divert attention) three separate groups of humans, varying in number, in clothing associated with the large but scattered social network identified as 'Patriots' away from the trail that Charlotte and Sebastian were following. They had used several strategies, vegetation to block the way, stinging insects or small mammals to divert (experiments in manipulating these simpler organisms were progressing very well…) and had posted sub-assemblies at optimal points around them for early detection of similar identified possible threats.

It/they had been considering how to alert the two humans under its/their protection to its/their presence as it had become obvious that a means of communication with Sebastian and Charlotte was required in order to facilitate their ongoing safety and well being; opinions within the various sub-assemblies were varied as to which method could be best used to do this… Simulacra based on images from a subject's memory were being considered by all assemblies currently engaged in experiments with human subjects and one such – a childhood friend - had been identified for use with it/their creator, Aaron Pittman. Searches to date however had failed to identify suitable possibilities for either Sebastian or Charlotte that did not have a high probability of eliciting emotional distress rather than the desired trust/comfort required for positive contact…

Searching continued but had been interrupted at sunrise when a sub-assembly reported two riders in clothing that identified them as Patriot soldiers on a vector with a probability approaching certainty of passing within visual range of Charlotte and Sebastian's current location. A plan was developed and coordinated by several different sub-assemblies to intercept and attempt a more advanced technique than had been previously used – infiltration of the consciousness of the two human riders. A temporary override of the Patriots voluntary and involuntary operating systems, now implemented, could be used to demonstrate its/their positive intentions towards its/their own subject humans…and to establish a means of communicating with them. The Nano identified its/their own reaction as indicating satisfaction and anticipation as the riders, both now under its/their control, approached.

...…..

Bass and Charlie lay on their bellies on a slight rise above the river – their wagon out of sight of anyone travelling along the road at this point. Bass had the binoculars and was training them in the direction of the approaching hoof-beats – 'two riders' he whispered, 'going slow…there's something strange though…the horses look almost as though they don't know where to go…?' he sounded puzzled… Charlie felt for her crossbow… Bass had left the rifle back at the wagon, they had decided on ambush and hand to hand fighting and he had his swords - less noise if there were others around…so they'd have to let the riders get close enough for her to take one down while he dealt with the other…

The two riders came closer, the heads of both horses weaving slightly as though they were unsure of their direction, the reins hanging slack on their necks. Both riders were sitting stiffly, rocking a little from side to side with the motion of the horses… through the binoculars, Bass could see the eyes of the two men – both pairs open and staring, their mouths slack… 'Here, take a look Charlie' he whispered, handing her the binoculars… 'Something's really weird…', Charlie checked out the riders 'They look like they're sleepwalking' she whispered back, 'and they're not guiding the horses at all…', she gave the binoculars back to Bass so she could be ready with her crossbow and he put them back up to his eyes … as he did so both riders stiffly raised their right arms up from the elbow - in unison, their hands held in a curious salute, hands held forward, the four fingers of each right hand held in a two finger v shape… thumbs held out square to the rest of the hand…

Bass choked 'I'll be damned…' he looked amazed and slightly bemused… 'Charlie, they're doing the 'live long and prosper' thing with their hands… from Star Trek! It was a science fiction show…I loved that show…' Charlie nodded 'It was Mr Spock…. Aaron told us…' 'You don't have to say it Charlie' he said - flashing her a quick grin… 'I'm beginning to really like Aaron… sounds like he has great taste….' He put the binoculars back up to his eyes...'Wait a minute…what's that?' he tipped his head… 'There - above their heads…' he passed the binoculars back to Charlie … she looked where he indicated 'I think they're the same as the little green lights I saw in Xanadu, they were near some plants... the ones I thought were waving at me…' she stiffened 'Bass, I think they're trying to stop the horses…' the horses and their strange riders had got close enough for Bass to see without the binoculars and he could tell the riders were in a bit of trouble, their movements were stiff and appeared uncoordinated…and managing the increasingly agitated horses, was obviously proving problematic…

Some of the dancing green lights came closer to them, moving and circling in three dimensional formations that resembled the complex designs Charlie remembered making with a pre-blackout drawing instrument that used plastic cogs that you put a pencil through and rotated around other shapes to make patterns… Spiro something… The lights moved toward her and Bass then back towards the riders, then back to them again, their movements speeding up – as though they too were agitated…'Bass I think they want us to go help…' Bass shook his head in amazement 'Charlie, this is incredible… ' He gazed at the patterns of green lights – they moved a little closer to him, then back towards the riders and their increasingly restless mounts… He lifted the binoculars again and checked the road 'they're probably couriers… travelling between camps, if there was anyone else with them I think we'd have spotted them by now...' he gave Charlie the binoculars… 'I'd better go down and try to sort things out… will you cover me?' she grinned '…Always Bass…' They walked quickly down to the road, Bass making little soothing sounds for the horses – and magically, they seemed to calm down for him… settling down and standing quietly while he took hold of the two sets of reins…the riders had shifted slightly with the movement of the horses but had otherwise remained unnaturally still while he did it - although he could see them breathing… Charlie followed but hung back, ready with knife and crossbow in case either of the Patriots reverted to…well being Patriots… The green cloud hung above them, much calmer now, gently circling through its patterns…

Bass led the horses to where the grassy verge started to slope upwards so the men would have a soft landing if they happened to fall (he didn't care about them but didn't know what hurting them would do to the green whatever-they–were's) and found happily that they were both trained to ground tie (he was impressed despite himself…). They stood patiently while he had a look at things… 'What do you think we should call our green friends Charlie…?' she shrugged, crossbow still at the ready…' Don't know Bass…they're look sort of like fireflies…only green…' He grinned and scratched his head as he studied the situation… 'Fireflies it is then…' he ran a hand down the neck of the nearest animal and it snorted and tossed its head; he took the reins to keep its head still… 'I don't think the Fireflies have quite got the hang of riding humans yet…'

Bass looked at the saddlebags on the horses then studied the two men, neither had moved… 'Definitely couriers Charlie – It'll be really interesting to see what they're carrying…' he prodded one of them with a finger…there was no response… he glanced up at the Fireflies – calmly weaving their patterns a few metres above their heads…'Thank you…' he said although not expecting an answer… One of the men opened his mouth and a sound like a groan came out… Bass had his sword at the Patriot's throat so fast Charlie hardly saw him move… but what happened next stunned them both… The Patriot still didn't move, sitting stiffly in the saddle … but he spoke – or something did... 'I/we help… guard Sebastian and Charlotte…' the voice was monotone and stilted '…Apologies, not…familiar with this mode...learning…' the green cloud moved faster, dipping and changing patterns in quick succession…

'My God Charlotte…' Bass was staring in astonishment…'What did Rachael do…?' Charlie shook her head 'I don't know Bass…' she was amazed…'maybe Petra was right…something happened to the Nanotech – maybe during the surge…' the Patriot spoke again…'not Rachael… Aaron, Aaron and Rachael… network…family…you…I/we follow, learn…' Charlie looked up in wonder…green sparks reflecting in her eyes… 'so you see yourself as part of our family, our network…?' the green cloud circled calmly…. 'Yes…correct…Charlotte…' Bass shook his head and grinned…'I am really getting to like Aaron…' he sheathed his sword… 'So what do we do with these guys…' he glanced quickly at Charlie and then up at her newest family member… 'It'd be easier to kill them but if they don't turn up at their destination we could have Patriots swarming down on us…' the Patriot's mouth opened again…'Can hold to…get soldiers past…this location then they forget…keep going…not know you there…' Bass chewed his lip… 'Sounds like a plan to me…' he looked up 'have we got time to look at what they're carrying?' 'Fast…please… I/we watch road around for one hour ride… no other soldiers…yet…' Charlie went over to the second horse 'I'll take this one Bass…' she started going through the saddlebags…. careful not to disturb the documents more than necessary…

A few minutes later Bass was not a happy man…'They're all in Arabic…' he said loudly…'they're all in fucking Arabic…' Charlie was equally frustrated, 'I can't read mine either Bass…' then a worried frown appeared on her face… 'Except for this…' and she held out a map… Bass walked over to look – it was a map of post blackout America with Texas outlined in red. The map was criss–crossed with lines and symbols he couldn't decipher… There were circles of different sizes and colours around various towns and cities - and drawn around the town of Willoughby there was a thick red line.

…

Now again…

His familiar silhouette was a bulky dark shape on the ground to her right, his long legs and muscled form muffled by his clothes (they both slept in their clothes… a precaution on the road), a thin blanket and the moonlight… his handsome face was etched sharp and clear though and she smiled a little… the beard made his jaw line blurry – she might see if he would let her trim it tomorrow… She sighed quietly and waited… Suddenly he flung one arm over his head and took a sharp breath in… Charlie looked up and checked the softly swirling cloud of green fireflies… They had been calm all night – Bass had reported the same at the end of his watch – and they showed no sign of alarm when she softly put her crossbow down – on the ground but within reach… her knife was there too, just in case…

She figured they were as safe as they could be, so she stripped off her shirt and tank top, unclipped her bra, and hurriedly took her boots off before slipping out of her jeans (she had gone commando tonight to save time…). She moved quickly over to Bass, slipped under the blanket and lay down on her side next to him. She had got there early enough that she wasn't worried about being accidentally hit by flailing arms – and once he felt her there – she hoped he would relax… She looked at his face, outlined in the moonlight; the lines of stress smoothed out in sleep, although a frown had started to form above the bridge of his nose… Then his breathing became a little faster and he groaned… his hand reaching out blindly and finding her hip… resting there for a moment, the thumb gently rubbing over the curve of her hipbone… then moving down to her waist and resting there… He breathed a huge shuddering sigh and settled back to sleep… and if he dreamed, they were good dreams… there were no more nightmares that night...

Charlie stayed with him until dawn, keeping watch and periodically checking with their little green (family members?) allies, and early warning system… She shook her head in amazement… Boy did they have a few things to show and tell when they got to Willoughby… Then she worried again about the meaning of the circle around the town – and what the Patriots were up to…

…

AN: thanks so much for reading… I had to stop there because it was getting too long for a one –shot… I really didn't want to split this one up into chapters though… so sorry for the marathon… I would love to hear your thoughts if you would like more in this storyline…and reviews are very welcome… I might have to do more anyway though (there's already a shorter one in the pipeline, hopefully to be finished very soon), regards, Magpie


	2. Chapter 2

**And memories weigh more than stone **

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. Mention of regulars incl. Miles and Rachael Matheson, Aaron Pittman, the Nano & the Patriots… Set after 'A holiday in New Xanadu'; Charlie discovers an envelope inside the package that Petra gave them and finds that some memories aren't so heavy…

Rating M…

**Summary:** It is almost a week after Bass and Charlie became lovers in a hidden place called New Xanadu. They are once again on the road to Willoughby, conscious of time and the constant dangers of the road. as well as the fact that they now know (from examining the map carried by two Patriot couriers) that the Patriots seem to have a special interest in Willoughby itself – as well as in Rachael.

In this chapter, both Bass and Charlie are a little more relaxed - the Nano assembly seem/s genuine and it/they have helped them out by acting as an extra sentry - but it is a very strange situation and the memory of the plants growing rampant in Xanadu encourages them to remain cautious. One evening, Charlie finds an envelope in the wagon marked 'Charlotte and James' next to the package given to them by Petra for Rachael as they were leaving Xanadu. In it she finds a memento of their time there…and the Nano are curious….

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for having a look at this…and to those who were kind enough to follow or favourite this story (or me as an author :D) I send my special thanks – your support is very much appreciated.

I don't own any part of Revolution unfortunately – I continue to love it though and I find these two characters especially fascinating… This chapter is meant as a bit of light relief after the soul searching of the first… and a big thank you goes to LoveForTheStory for the prompt – ie that Bass and Charlie find a photo or drawing from Xanadu in the packages given to them by Petra. Cheers, Magpie

…..

**Chapter 2: And some memories are not so heavy….**

As Charlie and Bass continued on their way towards Willoughby, the urgency of the first days of their journey settled a little. They still maintained a steady pace, the ominous red circle around the town on the Patriot map always on their minds but were also taking time to spend with each other too – and to rest... Along the way, the green firefly cloud of the Nano keeps pace with them - their growing trust in its/their ability to alert them of potential threats reinforced on three separate occasions following the encounter with the Patriot couriers by the cloud's vigilance - providing warning, first of a Patriot patrol, then a pair of bounty hunters - on horseback this time, and, most recently, a large War clan raiding party – heading in roughly the same direction as they were… On each occasion the Nano gave them enough time to get off the road and hide the wagon and themselves… The Nano has also proven to be an untiring lookout through the night as well as the day – although of course Bass and Charlie continued to maintain their own watch as well.

Although they had successfully interpreted the Nano's warnings, more complex communication with the cloud was difficult (in the absence of a handy Patriot courier) and neither Bass nor Charlie were willing to allow themselves to be controlled as the couriers had been. The Nano seemed to accept this – it did occasionally seem to anticipate their movements and needs but had so far made no overt attempts to control or manipulate their movements or thoughts…in fact it/they seemed very much to want to be accepted…

In an effort to improve the speed and accuracy of their communication with the Nano, Bass was adapting the signal codes he and Miles had developed over the years to use with the cloud – matching cloud movements and patterns to a system of hand signals and verbal cues… the cloud assembly appearing to enjoy the interaction as much as Bass – participating for as long as he wanted to continue. He was even willing to share the driving more frequently so that he could work on the code with his 'little green guys…' while they were travelling. Charlie found herself amazed at how fast he got the system going – appreciating even more his quick mind and ability to improvise and adapt… She was keeping up with what he was doing but Bass had developed real fluency and he and the Nano were starting to have quite complex conversations – he had found out for example that the Nano had not intended the vines in New Xanadu to grow as much as they did – that it/they had learned caution when experimenting from that experience. He also learned that there were sub-assemblies of the Nano that were following different humans – from what they termed the 'Creator (ie Aaron) Network' as well as other humans that they found interesting… although they were interested in pretty well everything generally…

The sub-assemblies also appeared to operate as semi-independent entities - separate from but allied with and sensitive to the vast and effectively limitless hordes of nanites permeating everything and everyone, eating electrical energy and replicating… gathering information from their subjects about the experience of being human with the aim of eventually re-combining… They seemed uncertain as to what would happen after that…

It/they were beginning to ask about emotions and why human beings generally found cooperation so difficult… Bass and Charlie were still considering how best to answer that one…

Bass had also been busy rigging up an improvised camouflage net using unravelled sacking from old supply bags tied and woven with twigs, vines and leaves to disguise the wagon – the lot fixed onto the roof for easy deployment. The process appeared to evoke much curiosity and interest from the Nano assembly; it/they darted around the net, examining it first from close up, then at a distance, patterns and new colours whirling through the cloud… then, somehow, it/they added another, insubstantial layer to the netting – composed of translucent particles which seemed to bend light and shadow around both the wagon and horses - picking up colours and shapes from the surroundings, making the net substantially more effective and somehow also dampening the sound of the horses movements… Bass expressed his admiration for the effect and a small portion of the cloud came dancing over to him, giving him the pattern sign for 'good [query?]' and when he said and signed back 'good [very], thank you'… it gave him back its 'pleased' pattern… He was becoming more and more impressed with its/their abilities – and curious about what else the Nano could do…

He had started making the net after the Nano alerted them to a Patriot patrol that it/they had sighted the day after the incident with the couriers and it had its first use when the Nano alerted them to the large War clan raiding party that marched and rode their way through the woods just after dawn this morning; some of the outriders eventually passing within a couple of hundred metres of the netting covered wagon. It was a tense moment, made worse when both of the horses took offence at the noise and smell of so many strange humans and unknown horses… and despite Bass and Charlie's attempts at calming them were about to panic when the Nano demonstrated yet another ability and a large swarm of angry wasps drove the war clan away from their location – the roughly dressed, clan-tattooed men and women running and riding away from the flying, stinging insects as fast as they could go…

They waited for some time, still hidden; then once the Nano informed them that the clan had moved on out of range, started off on the road for the days travel. The sun was shining, the air was fresh and the breeze from their passage wafted pleasantly through hair and ruffled clothing… The Nano danced above them in ever-changing patterns that sparkled in the morning light and Charlie glanced up to admire the now familiar display… She waved up at it/them, signing and singing out 'Hi, thank you', and smiling as they dipped towards her in response… then she grinned across the bench at Bass as he took first turn at driving and clicked the horses on… The lines of stress and tension had eased on his face over the last few days and he had a look of purpose and renewed energy about him… He grinned back, blue eyes sparkling and crinkling at the edges, gathered the reins up into one hand and reached the other hand out to her…she took it in hers and they drove along like that for a while, content just being together, enjoying the warmth and the breeze and the by now familiar rocking and bumping of the wagon…

He let go her hand to adjust the reins – attention focused on the horses for a moment and she decided to give him a little treat (he laughed a lot more easily now too and she loved hearing it – besides he'd missed at least one of the pot-holes and she had promised him a peek…) So, while he was looking away, she slipped the straps of her tank and bra down on the side closest to him, exposing one rosy, peaked nipple and rounded breast to the air…then yawned and stretched to get his attention… He did a double take 'Charlie… what the…' and his laugh rang out, his blue eyes fixed for a moment on the gently bouncing mound… then, as the horses - startled out of step by his outburst and inattention veered to the side of the road…he hurriedly turned back to them, gently correcting…eyes and hands again totally occupied… She pulled her straps back up…giving him her most triumphant smirk…' what's the problem Monroe...?' she reached across and ruffled his hair… 'Can't cope with surprises…?' He chuckled 'later, Charlotte…' he promised...

He rarely had nightmares now – and when he did Charlie was usually able to cut them short, simply by being with him, and although they both knew that he had a way to go in working through the issues that had pushed him into being the General Monroe of the last days of the Republic – as well as his feelings of guilt over the events at the tower… he did seem to be coming to terms with things… and to believe that Charlie really was sincere in her feelings for him… Charlie even found that she was understanding her own demons a little better and knew that what had happened to Bass was what might, sooner or later, have been in store for her if she hadn't found him – and a new purpose - in New Vegas… She simply hadn't realised how bad a place she had been in emotionally and mentally too – until the insights she had gained through being with Bass…

She was beginning to have a new understanding too of both her mother and Miles – as well as the other survivors of the early days of the blackout; Charlie had been so young when it happened, and she had been to some degree sheltered - by her Dad and after her Mom left, Maggie - from many of the first frightening and appalling results of their work being let loose on the world… and she knew that it was no wonder that so many people had compromised their ideals, beliefs and sometimes their sanity in the face of such overwhelming loss and confusion – and no wonder as well, that so many were vulnerable and desperate enough to be willing to follow the lead of anyone who seemed to offer a way forward (like the Patriots…) when law and order failed… At least Miles and Bass had started out trying to make things better, but with most people still in a state of trauma – or taking advantage of the loss of anything resembling law and order…and with the Patriots actively undermining any attempts at development (Petra had firmly believed that they had had active agents in the Monroe Republic as well as in other centres of returning civilisation long before their 'surprise' appearance after the bombs struck…) it had been an uphill battle all the way…

She sighed and shuffled closer to Bass, and with a practiced move, Bass transferred the reins to his right hand so that she could wriggle under his arm…then he wound his arm back around her, taking the reins up again, feeling her warm curves settle into his side…her blond curls spreading out against his shoulder and her hand resting on his thigh… He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and she nuzzled into his neck - the day was looking good…

….

That afternoon, when they stopped to make camp in a wooded clearing close to the river, Charlie was in the back of the wagon, fetching some oats to soak for the morning and by accident moved the box containing Petra's samples and her letter for Rachael… Something about it caught her eye and she leaned over to have a closer look… There was a tattered cardboard document roll tied to the box with a length of twine; the roll had some writing on it that had become visible with the motion of the box… Charlie turned it over so she could see it clearly – and there in flowing handwriting was a message 'to Charlotte and James, a memory of your visit…' she untied it, picked it up and peeked in the end, there were some rolled up papers inside…

She took it outside with the oats, put those to soak and then looked around… 'Bass…?' she called out, and spotted him tending to the horses, which were tethered at the edge of the trees near a good patch of grass… He had set out some of their last stores of grain and was grooming the days sweat away from shoulders, backs and legs while they munched happily. She and Bass had fetched water from the river earlier and set some to boil for drinking over the fire, some out for washing up and a couple of buckets for the horses…an easy and familiar routine now, the jobs shared and comfortable… He had recently given the pair real names; historical of course - those of horses owned by Generals of the American Civil War, the gelding was Lookout (named after the battle of Lookout Mountain and owned by a Major-General Joseph Hooker) and the mare, Lucy Long (after a horse owned by Robert E Lee…). He had told her the stories of the names – and the Generals, as they rattled along in the wagon… She was finding out more and more about the various facets to Sebastian Monroe…

'Over here Charlotte…' came from the edge of the clearing… she went over to where he was, loving the easy way he had with the horses who were looking healthy and glossy despite the long journey – also loving the look of Bass… those amazingly blue eyes focused on what he was doing, his strong hands grooming Lookout, sending the brush in long strokes down a shiny brown side…the muscles of his forearms tensing and releasing, arms and back moving with an easy rhythm, his whole body radiating vitality – she loved the way he was so - alive… She walked up close and reached around him, cardboard roll clutched in one hand… holding him tight, feeling his body move as he worked, resting her cheek against his warm, hard muscled and slightly sweaty back… She took a deep breath in… he smelled so good – a mixture of horse and man and clean sweat and she sighed happily… 'Have you nearly finished?' she asked, he reached his free hand down and ran it along her arm to her hand, weaving his fingers into hers…'nearly Charlie… Lucy's done and I'm just finishing off old Lookout here…' he let go of Charlie's hand, patted the rounded brown rump he'd just finished brushing, re-checked the tether lines, dropped the brush and turned in Charlie's arms to face her…his arms draping around her shoulders… Then his mouth came down on hers and she lost herself for a timeless moment in a kiss that held the promise of much more to come…

She smiled against his lips and drew back a little 'I found something in the wagon Bass… I think Petra or Sam left us a present…' she held out the cardboard roll…showing him their names on the outside, he took it and had a look 'What is it Charlie?' she shrugged, 'haven't opened it yet – thought we could do it together…' she grinned 'I did peek though – looks like maybe the guys at the party came through with some photo's and a drawing or two…' Bass put his finger in the end and tightened the rolls of paper from the inside so he could slide them out…

There were two drawings, both portraits, one each of Bass and Charlie… Delicate, linear pieces in pen and ink that captured their likenesses without being overwhelming in detail… The artist had caught Bass smiling, eyes crinkled at the edges… the masculine beauty of his face gleaming with a sense of fun and enjoyment… The portrait of Charlie showed her tilting her head up to laugh at someone, strands of her hair caught in motion… Bass reached out for that one…'they're both really good Charlie, but I love this…' his fingers touched the edges possessively…

They moved to look at the photos, there were three, black and white prints beautifully hand coloured (a valuable gift as the required chemicals were very scarce…) each featuring Charlie and Bass at the party in New Xanadu. Charlie spread them out them out on their combined bedrolls – putting small stones at the corners to hold them flat… One of the photos showed the two of them, facing the camera, arms round each other and smiling… Bass looking tall, powerful and slightly dangerous in the black outfit he had worn (and completely gorgeous, Charlie thought with a satisfied smile…), Charlie exotic and beautiful in her black leather halter-top and blue skirt beside him… The second photo showed them dancing separately but facing each other – caught in the middle of doing some complicated version of the twist – both with deadpan faces but obviously trying not to laugh…). Bass chuckled… 'That was so much fun…' Charlie bent over for a closer look 'what movie was that again Bass… Pup something?' 'Pulp Fiction…'he answered, grinning, 'A great scene from a great movie…'

The third photo was one that they hadn't posed for…and they looked at it in silence for a moment …remembering… The photographer had caught them in each others arms, locked in a tight embrace… Charlie was on tiptoe to reach his lips, her arms around Bass' neck, pulling his head down to her, his arms were around her, one hand tangled in her hair, the other circled hard around her waist, the two of them as close as they could possibly get… There was a sense of desperation and intensity about the picture that was almost painful to see and Charlie realized that it had been taken just before Sam led them to the Chill-out room, somehow recognizing that Bass – and Charlie - needed somewhere quiet for a while… She reached blindly for his hand, knowing it would be there, and took it in hers…

….

The Nano cloud, having been instructed several times by Bass regarding the human concept of privacy… had withdrawn out of visual range as it usually did in the evenings… maintaining its vigil over the surrounding countryside while giving the two humans as much of the desired privacy as was possible in the circumstances (given that the Nano were in fact technically everywhere…) But it/they were curious and intrigued by the various emotional responses that Charlotte and Bass were demonstrating in response to the images/memories/associations (query?) that they were currently examining… so it/they compiled a sub-assembly to maintain watch and coordinate inputs from other assemblies – the rest of the cloud came closer…

Bass became aware of the Nano cloud hovering over his shoulder… its/their patterns indicating curiosity and interest…hovering over the drawings…'How make (query?)', it/they asked… 'Like this...' Bass answered - miming an artist drawing Charlie's face with a finger as a pen… The Nano separated into two clouds – the smaller cloud sweeping down following the finger and creating a green copy of the image that floated in the air above the drawing… 'Wow…' Charlie said, amazed 'that's incredible…' the larger cloud floated over to the photo of the two of them dancing… 'Happy (query?)' it/they signed, Bass nodded…'Yes, happy…" Then it moved to the third photo…hesitating, patterns whirling and slightly agitated… 'Happy/kiss…Sad/kiss (query?)' Bass nodded again… 'I was remembering things – very sad things…' he lifted Charlie's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers…'Charlotte helped me feel better…happy again…' The cloud hovered, whirling and spinning in ever more complex patterns…

Suddenly the two clouds re-formed as one – both Charlie and Bass following it with their eyes - and swept over towards the edge of the clearing… There was a moment of stillness and then the cloud scattered into a green curtain that billowed out between the two humans and the trees, flowing over and under them like a giant green bubble… then the inside surface of the bubble shivered and began to change – colours and shapes emerging like fantasies – or holograms - until the part of the clearing around them had taken on the appearance of the space in Xanadu where the party had been held…there was even a faint sound of music playing… Charlie's jaw dropped… and she looked around in wonder 'Bass…' she whispered… 'How are they doing that?' He let out a disbelieving laugh 'I don't know Charlie, unless they're extrapolating from the photo – and their own memories – or ours…?' he turned to look at her face – glowing again with coloured lights 'And they were there remember?' he grinned ' you saw them… and they saw us…'

A small green cloud danced and whirled across to them… 'Sebastian and Charlotte happy/like (query?)' Bass glanced at Charlie – there was a huge grin on her face and she was shaking her head in amazement… He gave them the smile from the drawing – the one that lit up his face… 'Very happy…thank you…' He turned to Charlie and held out a hand 'Would you like to dance with me Charlotte…?' She laughed and took his hand… 'I'd love to Bass…' he turned back to the Nano 'Can you keep watch while you do all this…?' Green lights whirled…'Keep watch good, always good…' it/they signalled back…' Relieved, Bass gave his full attention to Charlie… she was looking around her with the joy and pleasure that he remembered seeing on her face in Xanadu…and he so loved seeing it there again…he squeezed her hand and they wandered into the illusion…

The Nano had recreated the pillars and arched doorways, the paintings and sculptures and the plants and flowers... Light from lamps and the sun going down reflected in mirrors and flickered over them and shadow people danced around them, half seen, appearing out of the corner of an eye then disappearing if looked at closely… Charlie poked her finger into one of the sculptures and the tip was suddenly surrounded by a green glow… Things were insubstantial but somehow believable…it was incredible… Bass took Charlie into his arms and they started to sway with the music… the lights and shadows around them surreal and mesmerising, exciting and energising… the heady scent of jasmine and night roses started to rise and waft around them... and the air became warm and moist….

The music gradually became slower, dreamy and sensual, a slow samba - with a beat that thudded in time with their hearts… The shadow figures around them moving more slowly, couples dancing close together… drums and guitars providing a driving rhythm… Charlie felt her heart beating faster… her body reacting to the music, the scents and to Bass… she could feel him, his body moving so close… his heart beating near hers… his long legs pressed against hers as they danced and his hard muscled chest rubbed against the softer mounds of her breasts…

She licked her lips, looking slowly up under her lashes to his face; he was already gazing steadily down at her and as his eyes locked onto hers… incredibly, intensely blue…she was suddenly so hot that she …'Bass…?' he moved his arms closer around her, hands roving over her back and down to her hips, playing with her hair…he kissed her temple, then bent to nibble at the point where her neck met her shoulder… 'Yes Charlotte…?' he breathed against her skin… 'Its getting really hot and I think we've got too many clothes on….' she whispered… The shadowy people around them were a little more shadowy, there were glimpses of bare legs and breasts, a man's muscled chest…the sounds and sighs of abandon and shared passion around them, the music rising and falling with the sounds… Strangely though, Charlie found that she felt safe and comfortable – she was with Bass after all…'This is a dream…Bass' she said…'the Nano aren't human, and this isn't real… we can do whatever we like…' Bass raised his head up and smiled… a slow, lazy but totally intent smile, his eyes burning blue into hers coming closer and closer…'what do you want to do Charlie…' he said softly against her cheek…

She took a deep breath and stroked her hands up his chest under his shirt, smoothing it back over his shoulders and down over his arms, flinging it away… then she reached down for the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it up as far as she could reach – he laughed and wrenched it up and over his head – tossing it away… while her hands returned to wander over his wonderfully muscled chest and shoulders…Bass grasped them in his… 'My turn Charlie….' Then he let go, pulling her tank top up and over her head, returning to undo her bra, slipping it over her arms and off… and undoing the top button of her jeans on the way… Once free of the material, Charlie lifted her arms above her head and swayed to the music… her breasts moving with her breath and the motion of her body, her skin loving the feeling of being bare to the evening sun and the breeze and the illusions… She felt his hot gaze moving over her…heavy as a touch… and he came closer, tall and totally focused on her… he moved slowly and so smoothly and she couldn't look away…. He put his hands on her hips, his thumbs slipping under the waistband of her jeans, circling over the sensitive skin under her belly button…making her gasp, her belly clenching and insides melting and tingling… then he stroked his hands up her sides, his long fingers spreading out over her breasts, softly kneading them, pinching the nipples between his fingers… then he moved his hands up along and around her arms – stretching her up so she was standing on her toes, back arching and breasts thrust forwards… he licked his lips…and kissed each rosy nipple in turn… 'I like your dreams Charlotte…' he said softly, and he pulled her so she fell forwards against him and he was suddenly kissing her, his arms holding her up, the music and scents and sounds all around and it was like a dream only so much, much better…

Somehow Bass got them back to the bedrolls, she didn't know how… but he gently laid her down, moving the photo's and drawings carefully out of the way… Then he turned his attention to removing the rest of her clothes, first her boots, then her jeans and panties (the ones from Xanadu) as fast as he could… The Nano's illusion had moved them away from the party to the warm candlelight and enclosed safety of the chill-out room…but instead of stars above them through the skylight there was the shaded blue of a late evening sky, intense and beautiful… In that light, Bass gazed down at her from where he was kneeling at her feet, his hands grasping her ankles, sliding up her calves and spreading her knees wide… he moved closer and slid his hands down her thighs to her cheeks of her ass, then stroking one hand around, over her hip and down over the damp curls between her legs…a finger sliding in to check that she was ready for him…Charlie tilted her hips and tightened herself over the finger to show him just how ready she was… smiling, he sat back on his heels… 'Lovely Charlotte…' he breathed…reaching down to undo his belt and buttons, his cock springing free… He took a deep breath and slid towards her, his shoulders lifting her knees up and even wider, and then he was inside her…hard and full and so… so good…he lifted her hips to get more access and she gasped with pleasure as he plunged in again and again and filled her to overflowing…

…

As the Nano cloud withdrew to give Sebastian and Charlotte privacy it felt pleased (? affirmative) that it/they had facilitated a pleasurable experience for them. Memory associations (photos, drawings) were obviously highly effective triggers for emotional expression – and it/they were happy to have learned a new technique – the re-creation and projection of images from memory… It/they started to consider other possible uses for the technique…but were interrupted as a sub-assembly broadcast a general alert riders approaching the outer limits of the observation zone… The sub-assembly reported moments later that the riders had stopped to set up camp for the night – and with that information consensus was achieved and it was decided that Sebastian and Charlotte did not need to be disturbed at this time but would be informed after they returned to their usual routine - the time of the evening meal was deemed appropriate.

While it/they waited, it was decided to use the new technique to form part of the message – a part of the cloud broke away and started to form an image in the air of the riders as observed – the image resolving into a detailed, three dimensional and very realistic construct of Thea Anderson, swords at her side, on a black horse, with a dozen New Xanadu Scouts riding behind her…

….

AN: Well, thank you so much for reading – this story seems to be growing like Topsy, I have a few more chapters to go I think – I really hope to get them to Willoughby and see what happens when Bass and Charlie meet up with Miles and Rachael (and I really want Bass and Aaron to compare notes too…) I also need to work out what news (and maybe help?) Thea and her Scouts are going to be – Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this and I hope especially that LoveForTheStory likes the way the prompt worked out… please feel free to leave a comment or review if you have a moment…

Oh and if you haven't already (although you probably have…), check out the wonderful and stunningly decorated 'The Good Ship Charloe' website - there is a fantastic story gift exchange happening for the holiday season…


	3. Chapter 3

**And memories weigh more than stone **

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. Mention of regulars incl. Miles and Rachael Matheson, Aaron Pittman, the Nano & the Patriots… Set after 'A holiday in New Xanadu' Bass and Charlie are back on the road to Willoughby – only things are a little different this time…

Rating M…

**Summary:** It is almost two weeks now after Bass and Charlie became lovers in a hidden place called New Xanadu. They are well on the way to Willoughby, conscious of time and the constant dangers of the road but now have an ally in the Nano – it/they helping to keep watch for dangers along the road while at the same time developing some interesting new talents… controlling the movements of humans, animals and insects - and projecting virtual images and environments based first on photo's from New Xanadu but developing new – and dramatic - capabilities rapidly…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for having a look at this…and to those who were kind enough to review, follow or favourite previous chapters of this story (or me as an author:D) I send extra thanks – your support is hugely appreciated and I really hope you like this chapter… I think like many other people, finding time to write has been a little bit hard – with the season etc… so this is a bit later than I'd hoped, the next one will be quicker though… am also working on a couple of off-shoots of another story, Semper Fidelis…

I don't own any part of Revolution unfortunately – I continue to love it though and I find these two characters especially fascinating… Cheers, Magpie

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**Chapter 3: **

Bass and Charlie lay together on their combined bedrolls; Charlie was curled next to Bass, her head pillowed on his shoulder, her hair like dark golden waves around them… One of her hands drawing lazy circles through the light hair on his muscled chest… one of his splayed over her hip, stroking down and up over the smoothly rounded contours of her ass… Somewhere along the way he had lost his jeans and boots and they were both naked under the first stars of the evening… Bass looked over at the green cloud of the Nano – floating away from them at the edge of the clearing, calmly and reassuringly moving through its 'all ok' patterns a little way above the horses – who seemed to accept the cloud with no reservations and were quietly grazing the lush grasses around them…

He was still amazed – and to be truthful a little concerned at what it/they had produced earlier – a virtual reality that had felt, sounded and smelled real - and that had changed with their emotions… He had realised over the last few days that the Nano was becoming much more practiced at reading he and Charlie and there had been a point in the illusion where he wasn't sure which had come first…their emotions or the Nano images and sounds that seemed to reflect them… The truth was though that he had been so caught up in Charlie at the time that he was only just thinking about what had really happened…

There was no doubt in his mind that both he and Charlie had certainly wanted what happened to happen… but it was a little unnerving to realise that the Nano had been inside their minds…

Was it that different though to the world he remembered before the blackout where computer technology had been on the cusp of being as interactive and immersive as the experience the Nano had given them? It/they had given them a wonderful, shared experience and seemed to prefer them to be happy rather than sad… It/they had asked about human emotions before – and it was obvious that he and Charlie were being studied closely by the Nano… It/they used words like happy and sad… it was almost like a child learning about the world…and he felt a strange sense of responsibility… He was very glad that it/they seemed to prefer people (the people it was close to anyway…) to be happy… The thought of some of his darker memories coming to vivid life made him shudder…

So far he had only observed them controlling two Patriots, although there had been the wasps…and he wondered how many people or creatures – or objects they could hold control or manipulate at one time… there were so many questions… He believed that their travelling companion was actively protecting them and in fact did seem to consider that it/they were part of Charlie's family network (which obviously included him) but the fact was that the Nano wasn't human, it/they didn't think as humans did… And what would happen when they got to Willoughby and connected up with other Nano assemblies…? It/they either hadn't been able to predict or hadn't wanted to say… How much influence would he and Charlie have over what it could or would do then? He needed to find out – before they got to Willoughby and Miles…

….

He could smell the spicy aromas of their evening meal, cooking slowly over the coals of their campfire and he took a deep breath – just glad to enjoy the moment… things seemed peaceful – for the time being anyway… Bass took another breath and let it out…the rise and fall of his chest moving Charlie's hand up and down with it… He gazed up at the early stars and then down at the lovely curves of Charlie's body as she lay beside him…

She felt his eyes on her and turned her head to look up at him, her eyelids heavy and soft, her lips swollen and lush from his kisses…she smiled up at him and yawned…'Hey Bass…' she said softly, he brought his other hand over to play gently with a strand of her hair….'Hi Charlotte…. are you warm enough?' her smile broadened – a teasing tilt to the corners…'You're keeping me warm Bass….' And he actually was – where their flesh met, Charlie could feel the warmth radiating off him, she loved the feeling…and hugged around him tighter…. but then he was all kinds of hot…

She lifted her foot over his leg…running it up and down between his calves and forcing his legs to part a little… her fingers trailed down from his chest, her gaze turning to follow them as they drifted in a slow line downwards, pausing at his belly button and circling there, moving the tip of her forefinger slowly in and out of the shallow little dent in his flat stomach – which tightened in a ripple of muscle… Bass' breath started to come a little faster as he watched her…

Then the fingers went lower; gently brushing through the curls of dark blond hair at his groin and over the head of his re-awakened and quickly growing cock… down over the velvety skin to his balls, gently stroking and cupping one then the other, sliding her middle finger down to the sensitive spot just behind them, following the ridge of lightly ribbed skin over hardening flesh… She heard his sudden intake of breath and stole a quick glance back at his face, loving the intent and focused – almost electric blue of his eyes…and then moving her fingers back up to stroke firmly along his hardening length… circling him…

Charlie moved her hips so she could rub herself on the angles of his hip… his hand splaying over the cheeks of her ass, digging into the ripe curves… then moving downwards and between her cleft, his long middle finger sliding its way through her folds – wet with both their juices, round to her clit, pressing and circling there for a long moment, making her gasp and clench around him, her hips jerking, the finger sliding back and plunging inside her, his other fingers and thumb spreading her wide… she gasped again and his cock was suddenly much harder in her hand…

He licked his lips… she smiled and leaned over to pull his nipple into her mouth, circling with her tongue; this time it was his turn to catch his breath…. She leaned away a little and blew on the wet nipple… it puckered nicely and she grinned up at him… he was watching her intently – his eyes full of stars… a slow smile starting at the corners of his mouth… 'What are you thinking about Charlotte…?' his voice was low and husky, the vibration in his chest as he spoke made her blood heat up even more in her veins as she felt his finger slowly going in and out of her from behind, pushing her onto his hip (slippery with her juices now) on the in stroke, then pulling her back, then pushing her forward again as he plunged in…

She drew in a long breath… and leaned further forward, bringing one knee under her so that she didn't lose contact with his hand but so that she could reach his cock with her mouth, for a moment her hair fell over her face and with his other hand he reached forward to sweep it over her shoulder so he could still see her… 'It'd be easier if you straddled me…' Bass said, hoarsely…. she turned her face towards him, rubbing her cheek along the hardness inside velvety skin, feeling him jump at the sensation and grow even harder… her eyes questioning '…but you couldn't touch me then Bass…' she circled her hips over his finger, her inner muscles holding it tight, the rest of his hand spreading her deliciously wider…'and I want you to be able to touch me… He smiled…'There is another way Charlotte….' The tip of his tongue ran over his lips… 'Think about it….' her eyes went wide and she blinked…'Oh...' the thought of him seeing her, touching her - like that - made her spasm around his hand, a new surge making him slip in and out so slickly that he added another finger…. and Charlie cried out as sensation ran through her in hot lava waves…

She held onto him for support, panting; one hand on his thigh, the other on his chest… Bass could see the nipple of her breast below the curve of her armpit and reached up to caress it with his fingers…tweaking it gently between his fingers while still using his other hand to keep pumping his fingers in and out of her slippery entrance…she gasped again… and he smiled in satisfaction – she would remember his suggestion for next time… for now though… he lifted and rolled her beneath him – his fingers still inside her although he pulled them out as soon as she was in position and replaced them with his so hard it was aching cock… She was so wet that he slid in easily, stretching her out to take his girth, pulling out nearly the whole way and then thrusting back in again till he was deep inside, reaching down to lift one of her legs up over his shoulder to give him more and more of her until she came again… screaming his name and scoring his straining shoulders with her nails…

Afterwards, as they lay in a sleepy and sated twined pile she looked up at him, her blue eyes full of mischief and curiosity… and the beginnings of a very wicked smile twitching the corners of her mouth… Bass wondered with anticipation what other ideas might have started growing in her fertile mind – his (he put the word in capitols in his mind…) HIS Charlie had a wonderful imagination and was a bold and generous lover… but he had the distinct impression that the men (boys?) she had been with before him must have had limited experience - or perhaps hadn't paid enough attention...

The smells from the campfire wafted across to where they were lying and suddenly he was starving… he looked down at Charlie and could see that the same thought was crossing her mind… 'Do you want to go eat Charlotte…?' she laughed…'Do you mean food Bass…' he reached down and ran his hand from one of her slim ankles up and over the muscles of her calf and thigh, up over hip and belly, to linger round a breast then up to her beautifully lush mouth, rubbing his thumb over her kiss-swollen lips…'food first Charlotte…?' he dropped a kiss onto her belly, tongue dipping into the small hollow of her belly button, his eyes never leaving hers… 'Then dessert…?' he could feel the flesh of her belly tighten at that and she grinned, her eyes hot and full of promises… 'And you too this time Bass…'

They threw some clothes on (flying sparks and hot food were good but not on bare skin…) and went to the fire… the stew in the pot was a combination of some of the spices that Petra had given them, deer jerky, vegetables and dried beans from their stores - it was very good and by the time they'd finished, there wasn't much left… They were just finishing their meal and sipping cups of the mint tea they had found in the provisions from Xanadu, the remains of the fire flickering and dancing in a slight breeze… the three quarter moon hanging over the trees and small clouds racing high overhead… when the Nano cloud came swirling over to them…signing 'message (Important/not urgent)'…

Bass acknowledged the cloud and it gave the pattern signal for 'riders seen', he sat up and said/signed 'where [query?], threat [query?]' the cloud patterns seemed to hesitate…'good riders…stop, sleep, night, morning - Nano bring to Sebastian, Charlotte' … Part of the cloud separated from the main assembly and swooped down to a level patch of ground where it proceeded to create a three dimensional coloured image of a dark, striking, woman's face…'That's Thea…!' Charlie cried out…the cloud reformed into the woman on horseback – as seen from the air, with a dozen other riders following behind her, galloping along a road… then changed again to show a campsite with the horses tethered to a slip line and the riders circled around a campfire eating and talking, two on watch at the edges of the camp… 'Bass… that's incredible…' Bass was watching quietly…'when seen [query?]' he said/signed to the Nano, the image changed again to Charlie and Bass dancing in the clearing… he looked down at the image… then up at the cloud… 'Thank you… but why wait to tell us?' 'Charlotte and Bass happy…' the image changed to one of them twined together… half dressed and kissing, 'not urgent tell…wait till meal…riders stopped…no threat'… Bass wondered how to bring up the subject of consultation… and humans needing to know… communication was still so limited with the Nano…

As he was wondering that, the image disappeared, the cloud started whirling and circling in more complex patterns than he had seen before and then the image of them together faded and a face – one from a memory of a series of movies that Bass and Miles had seen together as boys – formed before them from within the cloud of green lights…a golden eyed, robotic face with a slightly surprised look frozen on the metallic face… Bass stared – then he chuckled, not quite believing what he saw… 'Charlie… did Aaron ever tell you the story of Star Wars…?' She looked at the face… 'The one with the cool warrior princess and the bad guy with the big black helmet and the raspy voice who turned out to be her father…?' he nodded, an eyebrow raised in amusement at her perspective on the story… 'That's the one…' the golden face was rounding out into a disembodied head and becoming clearer as they spoke… The metallic mouth opened and shut and they could hear metal against metal… 'There was a robot in the story – it was a translator… a sort of assistant…' Charlie nodded…'I remember… I loved that story…Aaron did all these great sound effects…' the golden head tipped slightly to the right then left… the mouth opened and words came out …'Sebastian and Charlotte… Hello…' the voice was very prim and slightly prissy and Bass choked back a laugh… 'Is this form more acceptable for verbal communication…?'

Bass stole a quick glance at Charlie – she was looking at the head in wonder… 'How are you doing that…?' the head turned a little to face her 'This form has – happy – associations for both Sebastian and for you Charlotte…' the Nano's head tilted a little again…'it took – us - some time to find one in your memories that was suitable for enhanced verbal communication – but that would not cause distress…' Charlie nodded impatiently… 'And it's really good… but how are you doing it…?' she reached forward gingerly towards the head and her finger touched what felt like solid metal…. She withdrew the finger, her eyes wide as she glanced up at Bass 'it's really there Bass….' … the golden head tilted the other way…'Form is energy…energy can be many different forms…' Bass broke in… 'You've been learning how to reconfigure energy to create form…and you found this form in our memories, in our minds…' the head nodded… 'Correct… is this form acceptable Sebastian…?'

Charlie looked up at Bass – a question in her eyes… he nodded, reassuring, communication would be much quicker this way (although he thought his code would still come in handy for distances…) 'Yes, it's acceptable…' Bass took Charlie's hand and squeezed a little; he could see that she was finding the situation a little – freaky? He wasn't sure that he liked the idea of the Nano trawling through their minds and memories either…but wasn't sure how to stop them doing it if they truly were everywhere…

He turned to the Nano face… 'What should we call you…?' The golden eyes met his… and he felt a deep sense of awe – and renewed responsibility… He was actually looking at visible and tangible evidence of an artificial intelligence that had, incredibly, learned to manipulate energy to create matter… The eyes held an intense curiosity… and a strange innocence… and Bass knew that they needed to tread carefully or this whole thing could go very badly…

'You already call us Nano – that is sufficient…' 'Ok…Nano…' Bass felt just a little strange talking to a golden head but the talking thing was definitely an improvement… 'So Thea and some of her Scouts are heading this way and you're going to bring them here to us in the morning…' the golden head nodded once 'that is correct Sebastian' Bass looked at Charlie who was staring at (The) Nano, her eyes wide… he wondered if the same stunned look of disbelief was on his face… but then it was a lot to take in… He took a deep breath… 'Charlotte…?' she turned to him…still not saying anything…her eyes drifting back to the golden head floating in the air… 'Yes Bass…?' he grinned at her…'hey… Kid…' her eyes darted back to him, an eyebrow rose and the ghost of her pool grin appeared… 'What did you call me…?' 'That woke you up didn't it…?' he said grinning… 'You were looking a bit hazy there…' she whistled through her teeth… 'Well this wasn't quite how I pictured this evening going…'

He took her hand…'Why don't we try to get some sleep… it sounds like it's going to be a busy day tomorrow…' he looked across at floating head Nano – damn, this was going to take some time to get used to…'I don't suppose you can create a body to go with the head…?' he asked… The head tilted…'Energy required would be substantial, sub-optimal and unnecessary …' Bass nodded, that was interesting to know… just in case… 'Ok, sounds reasonable…so when will you go get Thea and her guys...?' the golden eyes regarded him 'We will notify them before local sunrise and lead them here to you…' 'We'll say good night then… Nano… and thank you…' Bass pulled at Charlie's hand, she followed him as he turned … 'Good night Sebastian and Charlotte… sleep well…' Bass honestly didn't know whether to feel unnerved or comforted…although he was pretty sure there was a bit of both in there somewhere…

He took first watch…Charlie was asleep within minutes of hitting the pillow (although she had stayed awake long enough to give him a kiss that he could still taste and that was helping him stay awake…) the Nano was back in its cloud form and in its usual place, floating and circling in its patterns above the horses…

…

The next morning Bass woke at sunrise – he had slept well, despite all the recent revelations – although he had been feeling so much more like his old self lately – the self that could handle pretty well anything – thanks to Charlie, that he actually wasn't surprised… Charlie was already up and had coffee (nearly the last of it unfortunately) and porridge ready… She noticed he was awake, smiled over at him and waved a mug in the air… he took the hint and rolled out of bed, reaching for his pants and his boots… They'd just make it to Willoughby he figured with the supplies of food they had on hand plus whatever they could forage but it was going to be close… They should be there in less than a week now if they went steady – with no interruptions… and then there would be Miles – and Rachael… to deal with… He and Charlie had talked about how to approach things with those two… they hadn't quite got to what he thought was a plan that would end up with him still breathing… but there was still time… and whatever happened, he was grateful for every second of this time with Charlotte… if there was more he would be even more grateful but she had already saved him…and he wasn't going to waste that…

Dressed and (almost) ready for the day he walked over to Charlie… she turned to him with her beautiful bright smile and jumped up into his arms, her legs around his waist… arms clinging around his neck and her gorgeous lips hot on his…and tasting like coffee and sweetness…he breathed her in…

….

A short time later, not long after sunrise, Thea arrived in a noisy flurry of horses, hoofbeats and circling men and women, all in the camo uniforms of the Xanadu Scouts…all loaded for bear… Bass had secured their own horses a little out of camp and set up a line for the incoming band… and he really hoped that Thea had brought her own coffee and supplies… She swung down from her horse and headed straight over to them, looking a little travel worn, her clothes dusty, boots stained… but at the moment what Bass noticed first was that she looked a little spooked…an unusual look for the highly competent and well seasoned soldier he suspected… 'Sebastian, Charlotte… hello…' she called out, starting talking before getting to them - Charlie smiled in greeting… The tall woman was as striking as ever, the fine bones of her face slightly more prominent than before – Bass wondered how long they had been on the road…

'What the hell have you two been up to…?' she shook her head in amazement…'This… thing… this golden head… turned up at our camp this morning and showed us a sculpture hanging in the air of you two…then said that we should follow it to here to you…' she stared at Bass 'How did it know where we were…? And how did it talk…?' she frowned 'General…I mean… Bass - it floated in the air…!' she shook her head again…'what the hell is it?' Bass made a settling gesture with his hand 'Take it easy Thea….' Charlie rolled her eyes and smiled sympathetically 'Don't worry - I'm trying to do that too…' Bass sighed… 'It's the thing… Rachael's thing, the thing that followed us to Xanadu, made the plants go crazy and followed us out again… It's…well… its sort of grown; we got to know it… It learned to talk, and it can make things now too…and find people…' he shrugged 'that's it in a nutshell…except that it does know what we're thinking so … try to think nice thoughts about it - ok…?' Charlie would have laughed at the look on Thea's face except that she was very much afraid that there was a similar one on her own…

They eventually got everyone seated, sharing the food and drinking cups of tea and the coffee that (thankfully) the troupe had brought with them – they even had an extra bag that they gave to Bass much to his delight… Thea sat next to Bass, with Charlie on his other side – her Scouts setting about the ongoing business of gear and weapon maintenance, leaving them to talk in peace… Nano as a green cloud floated serenely in its place at the edge of the clearing – getting an occasional awed look from Thea's people…but otherwise not interacting…

Thea sighed… 'These Patriots are seriously bad news' she said, frowning…' we have reports of them using germ warfare in towns further up – infecting people with diseases like Cholera and Typhus… then waltzing in and offering cures – being the big saviors… ' She huffed…'They're also infiltrating towns using war clans from the Plains Nations as decoys – with the aim of getting the towns' people on side by suddenly appearing to come and rescue them from the war clans…' her frown deepened…'and they're setting up training camps and conscripting… taking the youngest and fittest whether they want to go or not…' she gazed over at Bass… 'It's a bit like the bad days of the Republic, only much worse than that ever was… '

She shook her head and chewed at her bottom lip…'It's horrible… they drug them and do other things that change them…' a frown creased the smooth forehead… 'These kids come out like zombies – they can't think for themselves, they just follow orders, do anything they're told…' her eyes went dark… 'The things I've seen them do… awful things…' She leaned forward, looking down into her mug, 'There's this Doctor… name of Horne, he's behind a lot of this stuff… and he really, really wants Rachael…' she turned to Charlie… 'I think he's crazy…and I think he knows about the … you know… the thing…' she shrugged… 'And I don't know how yet Charlotte… but I think he might know where Rachael is because he's heading straight for Willoughby and if he gets there before you do…' she trailed off…then continued 'We were heading there thinking that if we didn't find you at least we could get Rachael out of there…'

Charlie turned a worried gaze to Bass, remembering the red circle around Willoughby on the couriers map… he took her hand, trying to reassure her a little… He and Rachael did not get on (wasn't that a raging understatement…) and he didn't really want anything to do with her – he was sure the feeling was mutual, but she was Charlie's mother and Miles loved her… It also sounded as though her being in the hands of the Patriots knowing what she knew would be an extremely bad thing for all of them… so… 'We'll be there in a few days now Charlie…' she looked even more worried…'what if we're too late Bass…? And how could this Doctor know where she was…?' Thea spoke again 'They've got spies everywhere Charlotte, it could have been anybody… we've been told about people who've been sleepers for years who've been found to be giving information to the Patriots…husbands, wives, fathers…' she gave Bass a very direct look… 'Petra thinks they've been setting this up for a long time, maybe even before the blackout…' There was silence for a few minutes…there was a lot to think about… Charlie let out a breath 'so what now?'

Bass and Thea exchanged a look… Bass cleared his throat…he was aware that he had no authority over the NX Scouts but… 'You'll be faster than us on horseback Thea…maybe you could head towards Willoughby, keep an eye out for Horne and have a look at what's happening… we could meet you just outside the town…' Charlie broke in 'There's a place off the road - near the ten mile sign…' her anxious eyes moved from Bass to Thea…'about four miles north of that sign…it's one of Miles' safe houses… we could meet you there…' Thea nodded… 'And we can find out what's happening with Rachael and the rest of your family and let you know…' Bass gave her a tight smile 'Thea, thank you… that sounds like a plan…' she smiled back… 'My mission is to somehow have Rachael and Petra meet so that they can work out how to cure William… seems to me she can't meet Petra if she's in a Patriot jail cell…so welcome to my mission…' Bass nodded, satisfied… 'Ok, we meet at the safe house in about a week… our golden friend can keep an eye out for you too and we might even see if it's able to organize something so we can keep in contact...' He grinned 'so if you see a floating head, a bird talking or anything else unusual don't shoot at it ok…?' Thea rolled her eyes… 'Are you guys always this dramatic…or is it just on weekends…?' Charlie found herself laughing in spite of everything…

Shortly after that they were gone… and the camp was quiet again… and not too long after that Bass and Charlie were back on the road to Willoughby as well…both of them thinking of the ten mile sign ahead… above their heads floated the Nano cloud…keeping pace and swirling through its patterns…

….

AN: thanks so much for reading… and I really hope you liked it… this chapter doesn't quite cover all I wanted to but it was getting longer and longer… the next chapter will see them arrive at Willoughby (after making the most of their time alone together) and Bass and Charlie are holding a lot more of the cards this time…

I need to make a special mention of a certain golden robot… C3p0 of course… although in this story he is only a head and is called Nano… I don't own C3p0 of course but when I needed to think of a friendly robot character he was the first one that I thought of – and the best! So it is with the greatest respect and admiration for his creator/s that his head appears here…

Thanks again for reading, Magpie


	4. Chapter 4

**And memories weigh more than stone **

A Revolution fic (Blackout AU): Sebastian (Bass) Monroe/Charlotte (Charlie) Matheson; Charloe. Mention of regulars incl. Miles and Rachael Matheson, Aaron Pittman, the Nano & the Patriots… Set after 'A holiday in New Xanadu' Bass and Charlie are back on the road to Willoughby – only things are a little different this time…

Rating M…

**Authors note:** Thanks so much for reading…and to those who were kind enough to review, follow or favourite previous chapters of this story (or me as an author:D) I send extra thanks – your support is hugely appreciated and I really hope you like this chapter… Sorry for the long wait – I got diverted by Christmas and other stories…but am planning to finish this one soon….Oh…some partial lines of dialogue are included from relevant episodes of the show where they fit into this story…

I don't own any part of Revolution unfortunately – I continue to love it though and I find these two characters especially fascinating… Cheers, Magpie

**The story so far:** It is about three weeks now since Bass and Charlie became lovers in a hidden place called New Xanadu, and the two of them are becoming closer by the day as they journey on towards Willoughby and the almost certain conflicts waiting there… They now have a – strange - ally in the Nano, which is helping to keep watch for dangers along the road while at the same time developing some interesting new talents… controlling the movements of humans, animals and insects, creating virtual images and environments, developing new – and dramatic - capabilities rapidly… It now has a tangible avatar (a golden, floating head taken from Bass' memory and the memory of a story that Aaron told Charlie once..) and is able to communicate verbally with humans using this. Thea and her group of NX Scouts have just met up with Bass and Charlie, with the guidance of the Nano, and are going ahead to check out what's happening in Willoughby and to discover the location of Patriot, Dr Calvin Horn, who is thought to be heading there to find Rachael. They have arranged to meet Bass and Charlie at a safe house 4 miles north of the 10mile sign out of Willoughby in about a week. Bass is also going to see if there is a way for the Nano to keep in contact with Thea along the way. Thea's mission is basically to ensure Rachael's safety – so that she can answer the questions of Xanadu's creators, William, and Petra, regarding the Nano and it's ability to heal in particular. Thea and her troops are willing to help Bass and Charlie as part of the mission – as long as it leads them to Rachael.

**Chapter 4: Darkness on the edge of town…**

After Thea's visit Bass and Charlie travelled on until late afternoon then set up camp for the night a short walk from the river. Bass was on first watch but there was time to relax before that… and they always spent some time at midnight changeover together now - as well as during lunchtime stops, pre-dinner drinks, after dinner settling down, swimming in the river - or whenever the opportunity or fancy struck… and driving in the wagon had become an adventure of story telling, laughter, teasing and sometimes just companionable quiet… Charlie was enjoying herself so much travelling with Bass that she was almost able to forget everything else…it felt as though they had somehow fallen into some alternate world where happiness was allowed… and she didn't want it to end… For his part, Bass treasured each moment with Charlie, storing them up against an uncertain future… he was dreading getting to Willoughby more with every mile and trying very hard not to brood on it… He measured his happiness now by the minutes, hours and days that he spent with Charlotte Matheson – counting not just from their time in Xanadu…but from the moment she had landed in that dry pool and changed his life forever…

Their awareness of each other's moods and thoughts as well as their feelings for each other seemed to be getting stronger every day… their time together becoming increasingly precious the closer they got to Willoughby – and to what seemed like inevitable conflict with both Miles and Rachael… as well as confrontation with the Patriots and all the rest of the mess…

….

Charlie and Bass had just finished dinner and were relaxing back on their shared bedrolls after their now customary evening work out – swords, hand to hand practice, weights and stretches… They were watching the stars, the fire dying down to coals… Both had changed after a wash in the river and Bass was in his oldest jeans, holed and threadbare but still serviceable – no shirt although he had a t shirt handy for watch… Charlie was in a clean tank and the old, soft pair of jeans she wore for sleeping… She was wrapped around Bass just the way she – and he – liked best…her head cradled on his right shoulder, one hand idly playing with his scruff then stroking down over his wonderfully muscled – and beautifully bare – chest then back again… one of her legs slung over the two of his… Bass had an arm around her shoulder, playing with her hair, making strands into ringlets around his fingers… his other hand stroking up and down the foot and ankle draped over him…

'Bass…?' Charlie said quietly… 'hmmmn…?' he murmured back… She pulled on his beard – very gently… 'Hey, sleepy head… You're on first watch…so no snoozing…' he chuckled… 'Have I ever missed a watch Charlotte…?' Charlie smiled up at him, her lips soft and a little sad…'No… and you know you haven't… Mr. Perfect…' Bass gave her a little slap on the butt with his right hand… his left moving up from her ankle to brush a lock of hair away from her face and back over her ear… 'If the shoe fits…' he said, lightly teasing… then he leaned over and kissed her… his lips soft on hers, tongue gently probing territory now so wonderfully familiar…

She enjoyed the kiss for a lovely minute or two then pulled back, smiling against his lips to ease her withdrawal… then the smile faded and her hand came up to meet his, holding it tightly, her fingers interlacing with his… she looked into his eyes, hers huge and bottomless … 'Bass…?' He brought her hand up and kissed the fingers…he had known she had had something on her mind - she had been very quiet over dinner… 'What is it Charlie…?' she licked her lips, loving the taste of him there… 'I've been thinking… We don't have to go to Willoughby…we could just keep driving…' Bass took a deep breath in… his heart seeming to pause… 'Is that what you want to do Charlie…?' her lids fell, hiding her gaze…'I… It'd be easy Bass… we could just turn around…find somewhere and settle down… just disappear… and no one would know…' he brought her fingers up to his lips again… shutting his own eyes for a moment… It would be so good…he could see them finding a little farm somewhere…or even going back to Xanadu – he knew they'd be welcome… Thea could take Rachael there, hell she'd already planned for it…and she'd carry through… especially if she knew that he and Charlie were out of the picture… and for a moment the dream seemed perfectly reasonable…

Then he remembered the Patriots and everything he'd seen – and heard about them… And Miles – and… ok …Rachael… who didn't know – or didn't know enough - about the bad stuff that was coming their way… and he knew as well that there probably wasn't anywhere he and Charlie could go that was far enough away to be safe - for long anyway…Fuck… He sighed… 'Charlie…' She pulled out of his arms and sat up… 'Why does it have to be up to us Bass…? What difference could two people possibly make?' She was angry now, her eyes stormy… body stiff…. And he couldn't blame her… He pulled her to him and she hugged into him as though she was adrift and he was her anchor… 'Charlie there is absolutely nothing I want more in the world than just to stay like this… with you…' she turned her face up to him again, her eyes swimming with lights glinting off angry tears… 'Then why don't we…' he brought a hand up and brushed a tear away from her cheek… then he smiled, a small sad smile… 'You know why Charlie… We have to go help your family, because we know there's a big fucking asteroid of trouble heading their way and they don't - and no matter how much I wish I wasn't saying this… someday you'd regret it – and maybe regret us…. if we didn't go help them now… '

He held her eyes… 'We're not far away from Willoughby now… are you getting worried about what to tell Miles and Rachael about us…?' she met his gaze and kept it… 'Bass, I meant what I said before… what we have is nothing to do with them…they can take us or leave us… I don't care… ' She shrugged…' I'm not stupid… Miles and Mom have had something going for a long time – I just didn't want to see it at the time… but I know now… Grandpa said some things too… to Miles… they didn't know I was there… ' She reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips… 'You – and us - are what matters to me now - although it does matter that I know they're going to be mad at you…even if they don't have the right to be…' Bass couldn't put a name to his feelings then… Part of him, the small, still insecure, still damaged part of him…had been worried that she would go to them… leave him… then he felt ashamed of that – after all the times she had told him, had proved to him that she wouldn't, that she loved him…

She took a huge breath in and let it out… 'And you're right… we do have to go, I know we do… But I hate it and I don't want to…' she stared at him, her eyes full of tension, her body strung tight as a drum… 'Bass… do you remember that morning in Xanadu…? When you said that you knew we had to leave but you didn't want to…?' he nodded… 'I remember…' 'I want you to make love to me like you did then Bass, I want you to make me forget… I don't want to have to think about… Willoughby… or the Patriots…or anything but you…' she leaned into him, resting her cheek in his hand… 'Make me forget, Bass…'

His eyes became icy blue bonfires as he let his own anger out – no, more than that… his bone deep fury…. at whoever was controlling this fucking world and thought it was ok to keep throwing shit and sorrow time after time after time at him and the people he loved… especially her, most especially her… 'I'll do my best Charlotte…' he pushed out… then he reached down and grasped the edges of her tank top, pulling it up and over her head in one fast movement… she gasped as she met his eyes, feeling them burn into her…and she laughed – a wild and feral sound… he lifted her, moving her through the air so fast that she was underneath him in a flying moment… Then he yanked her jeans down - they were loose enough and old enough that it didn't matter that he didn't undo them first… her boots were already off, ready for sleep, so that she was there - utterly and beautifully naked beneath him… He left his own jeans on for the minute but tore open the buttons…his cock springing out…long and thick and already hard…

He knelt above her, one knee between her legs, one beside her, supporting his body and keeping her hands above her head with one hard muscled arm, his hand locking her wrists… the other hand held her face while he pressed a hard kiss to her lips, tongues and teeth tangling, moans and panting breath mingling in their mouths… all his anger and pain at this world focused – not on her – but with her, because she was matching him stroke for stroke… and the intensity of it shook him to his bones… He raked a hand down her body, stroking her shoulders, grasping one breast after another, squeezing the nipples until she rose up under him, her belly tight, her hips rising towards him and pleading for more… She was twisting and fighting him hard but he felt her need for something to keep her grounded… somehow… so he kept holding her down… pinning her with a hand and his knees… making it last, helping them both get rid of as much of the hurt and pain as they could…

He spread his fingers and stroked them down her belly and between her legs, fingers sliding over curls and through her wet folds, feeling how much she wanted him… He looked down at her – spread out beneath him and he smiled, a smile full of love and lust…it didn't matter how often he saw her like this, it would never be enough… it was always new - and he loved and wanted to see her open and ready for him so much it was both a raging hunger and a feast for his senses … He moved his knee out from between her legs, then stroked his hand down to her ankles, holding them together and bending her back around his knees until she was bent like a bow between his hands… he caught her eyes… they were fierce and wild, full of a primal need… 'Bass… please….' Her voice was hoarse and demanding… and he was only too happy to oblige… he looked down at the moist and tempting triangle of curls at her centre… then bent towards it, able to reach only because he was that much taller than her… Her legs were held tightly together by the way he was holding her but he forced his tongue in between the folds framed and squeezed by her thighs…working his lips to open her up… then he found her clit with his tongue, stroking down the little ridge of flesh… she gasped and then moaned and her whole body spasmed as she came…

Charlie watched him avidly, her body shaped by need, her blood pounding through her veins in a molten rush as he held her down, bending her back around him… giving her what she needed by giving her something that she could strain and fight against - because fate was so fucking unfair and she couldn't fight against that… He was so strong that she could just let herself go without worrying that she might hurt him – and she knew he wouldn't hurt her beyond what she wanted and needed… She watched the play of muscles as he moved; runnels of sweat making his skin glisten, his hot, male scent wafting down to her… He was everything she wanted and needed and more, and she could feel his passion for like the air before a storm…ion filled and lightening driven… She felt his fingers sliding between her legs, sensation tightening her belly, making her breath catch and her mouth dry… her breasts were tingling and her skin felt so sensitized to the air, to him, that every hair was standing up… Then his mouth was on her sex and she felt his tongue slide in between her lower lips like an arrow hitting its target and she felt the building tension in her centre explode into shards of light as she came…

It wasn't enough though… she could never get enough of him… She found his eyes again… he always knew when she wanted to look at him…and she saw her own excitement and greed for him reflected in his… 'What do you want Charlie…?' He asked her, smiling, his eyes alight, his beautiful face coming closer, his lips ready for hers – with the moisture from her coming still on them… Her legs were free now and she lifted them to wrap them around him… feeling his lovely length hard and so ready between her thighs… she rubbed herself against him… 'You Bass…' she whispered then her voice yelled and shattered in delight as he entered her like the force of nature he was… 'I want you …'

The green cloud of the Nano; that had been hovering just out of sight … floated back to its usual station above the horses…it's cycling patterns roiling and agitated… It/they wanted Sebastian and Charlotte to have each other, to be happy… There was so much trouble in Willoughby, so much violence…they would need protection… The Nano needed to consider what to do – especially about the other assembly, the one that was with Aaron Pittman…the one that had killed for him and had brought him back to life…the one that didn't know enough about happiness and too much about fear...

…..

It was almost time for their midnight changeover and Bass gazed down at a sleeping Charlie, about to wake her … Her gorgeous face was relaxed, lips still bee-stung from his kisses… he knew that there would be bruises on her body - and similar bruises on his own from the fierceness and intensity of their love- making earlier… she had stripped him of everything but the need to be inside her as far and as much as possible… A little smile twitched the corners of his mouth… She had made good her promise about him as dessert too… after the second – or was it third round…? And he wondered if she could still taste him in her sleep, he licked his lips – as he could still taste her… He smiled at the memory then looked down, sternly reminding his cock that it was on watch along with him…

She stirred, her blue eyes opened, and smiled when she saw him gazing down at her… reaching a hand up to stroke the side of his face… 'Hey Bass….'

As she woke, the golden head of Nano materialized from within the green firefly cloud hovering in its usual station above the horses and floated over towards them – it's brightness dimmed to a pale glimmer… 'Sebastian? Charlotte? Could we talk?'

Charlie rubbed her hands over her face, sat up, yawned and reached for her water bottle to wake herself up…taking a mouthful while gazing at the still amazingly surreal sight of C3p0's golden metal head, floating without a body before them… Bass reached for his bottle too…so much for the midnight tryst he'd been planning… 'What do you want to talk about Nano…?' … The robot face tipped slightly, seeming to project a degree of confusion… 'I…we… are trying to understand humans…' the golden eyes turned towards him, questions in their depths… 'While it seems obvious that cooperation towards a common goal is more likely to produce positive outcomes, humans in general seem to have great difficulty with this… we would like to know why?'

Charlie reached for her clothes and quickly got dressed… the Nano wasn't human but it still felt weird being naked while she was talking to it…

Bass sighed… he had thought a great deal about how to answer that inevitable question… although he would probably have phrased it a lot more simply… 'You mean why do people behave like morons most of the time…?' the golden face somehow seemed to appear amused… 'That is a – reasonable - summation Sebastian… '

'It's complicated Nano…' he looked into the golden eyes… 'I wish there was a simple answer but there isn't…' He thought of something that might help… 'Remember when you took control of the Patriot couriers?' the head nodded… 'Of course…' Bass lips twitched a little hearing the voice – it was like being in the movie…he'd want to be Han though – Han ended up with his cool warrior princess… he shook himself back to reality…'Well, we could have killed them… it would have been easier, but not better – besides the two men were helpless thanks to you…they weren't attacking us, you were able to send them on their way and keep us safe…' Charlie nodded… 'We didn't have to kill them – in fact it was better not to then…' the Nano inclined it's head 'But you cooperate with each other…' she and Bass shared a look… Charlie smirked… 'We didn't always…he was a sort of mad Dictator for a while, got a whole lot of people killed and almost killed me and then I tried to kill him… before I got to know him better…' Bass shrugged then laughed…'Something to tell our children…' they both stopped suddenly and looked at each other, the words echoing somewhere in time and space…

The swirling patterns in the cloud became agitated, moving faster than he had ever seen them, their movements seemed disjointed, conflicted, out of balance…then they went still for a long moment…

The patterns started up again, slowly, and he could see them reflected in miniature deep within the golden eyes…and over the golden skin… 'Sebastian, Charlotte, you have never asked, or thought to ask us to kill other humans - even though you know that we could easily do it… why?'

Bass gazed into the shining eyes… the golden face was motionless in its bubble of air in front of him… He realised that this could be a critical moment in their relationship with this strange ally… 'You know I haven't thought of doing that Nano… 'And neither have I…' Charlie said… Bass took her hand…'and I know you are aware of that because you've seen into our minds…' he sighed, 'I don't really know how to answer your question though... ' He took a deep breath… glancing at Charlie… she seemed anxious, she knew how important this seemed to be too… he turned back to the Nano… 'There are some situations I can think of where I might ask though…for instance if someone threatened Charlie and I couldn't stop them, but my first instinct would be to rely on my own skills I think...' Charlie nodded… 'Same here….' The golden eyes came closer 'Aaron Pittman asked us – another assembly of us… in his mind… to kill humans… The first time he didn't know that he had done it, but later he knew we could do other things – after we had brought him back when one of the war clan killed him with a sword…' Charlie jerked, suddenly pale, her eyes shocked…'Aaron's dead?'

Bass answered without thinking 'Pittman's not a fighter, and he might not have realized that you would take him literally…' then he reeled back, his head spinning… 'He's dead? And what do you mean you brought him back…?' the gold head tipped a little again… 'His physical body had ceased to function due to trauma… and we didn't want him to die so we healed him…' Charlie's fingers clenched tightly in Bass' hand… 'But you said he was killed…what do you mean…is he dead or not?' Bass was beyond stunned… He had visions of a drooling Aaron reaching out with damaged hands, hungry for brains…' Did his mind function properly after you brought him back?' Bass felt his heart pounding and he wished he had some whiskey handy… 'What about his personality – his…his… soul…the things that made him Aaron Pittman?' the Nano's metal mouth appeared to curve in a smile that looked odd on that face… 'We maintained brain function and supplies of oxygen and nutrients to his cells while the damage to his body was being repaired… so although he appeared to the others to be dead for a little over two hours, his mind, and what you call his soul, were protected' The golden head turned and directed its gaze to the side of the wagon…

'Watch…' parts of the cloud swept down and images appeared on the metal and Bass was reminded startlingly of watching a tv set. He saw several members of what looked like a Plains Nation war clan breaking into a house – attacking and holding a slight, struggling brown haired woman… Then, a soft looking, bearded man burst into the room, laying into the attackers with angry abandon… 'He's doing ok…' Bass said, a little surprised 'Charlie made him sound like a total geek…' Charlie shot an indignant glance at him but quickly returned her gaze to the picture… A moment later they saw Aaron struck by the sword of one of the attackers in what both knew had to be a killing blow… Charlie gasped and Bass winced as Aaron fell to the ground, blood spurting from a large wound across his chest… The brunette ran to his side, then ran out of the room sobbing… The scene changed and Rachael and an older man – Charlie whispered 'That's Grandpa…' and Bass realized it had to be Rachael's father Gene Porter - a doctor, were kneeling by Aaron's side… and fingers were gently closing his eyes… Charlie choked back a lump in her throat…'oh…Aaron…'

The picture changed again to show Rachael sitting alone, next to Aaron's body, staring into space… then suddenly Aaron's eyes opened and Rachael jumped up in shock… along with both Bass and Charlie…

Bass was silent for a long moment… taking in what they had just seen… Charlie was just standing there, her eyes huge and shocked…'You said that Aaron asked you in his mind to kill humans… how did you do that Nano?' a picture formed showing Aaron walking past a car with a couple making out in the back seat, a man emerged, obviously threatening Aaron… who walked away, visibly embarrassed and afraid … a few seconds later the interior of the car erupted in flames… The picture changed and the image appeared of someone he recognized very well… 'Miles…' Charlie focused intently on the scene before them, and Bass felt his body instinctively tense for action – even though there was nothing he could do to help… Miles was in a situation that even he would have trouble getting out of; confronted by two Patriots both with guns trained on him… The Nano spoke… It's voice mild and even… 'Miles Matheson is part of Aaron's network - we showed Aaron what was happening to Miles and Aaron didn't want him to be captured and die… he wanted the Patriots to die…' the image grew larger and he could see Miles looking up (at them?) with hundreds of little green lights reflecting in his eyes… The image refocused on the Patriots and Bass saw the ground around the men's feet start to smolder then flames raced up the legs of each soldier, rapidly engulfing them, turning them into screaming torches… Charlie gasped…'Oh my God…' and in the picture, Miles looked at the burning men in shock, the flames edging his hair in a red glow… then he turned and darted away… The image faded…

Bass took a deep breath in then let it out… 'Nano, in that situation, if I wasn't there and if I knew you could help, I might have asked you to kill the Patriots too… there was no way that Miles was getting out of that without being captured or killed…' he turned to the golden head…'The decision to fight or kill is one that depends on the situation… Family and friends… our network… are the most important people in the world to us and I…we… would do anything to help them, to keep them safe - with a chance to be happy…' his eyes were very serious… The golden head floated serenely… 'The Patriots have families too Sebastian… we have seen in their minds…and although many are clouded and confused - some of them believe very strongly that they are right and you are wrong... ' Bass realized that this was the crucial point – what was the difference between them and the Patriots…? Why should the Nano choose them…?

He looked straight into the golden eyes… he was so close that he could see tiny versions of himself reflected there… 'Nano, I know we're not perfect…but the Patriots are not giving people a choice in how they want to live…they are taking choices away, they're lying to people and doing terrible things to them, because they think they have the right to make everyone do what they say…believe what they believe… and that's wrong…'

The golden head floated for a moment…'Thank you, we need to consider…'

It started to move away, then stopped and turned back… 'There is something else we should show you…' Another picture appeared and Bass saw Rachael's father, Gene, in an empty room, sitting near a grill in the wall… he appeared to be listening to something… the scene then moved them down a set of stairs to a kitchen where Miles, Rachael and Aaron were talking… then the scene changed again, whizzing them through a street to the edge of town and a hole in the wall… the view changed to bird's eye and they could see a Patriot soldier on the other side of the wall…Gene appeared to be telling him something…he didn't appear to be under any sort of duress, he was talking willingly. Gene handed the Patriot a piece of paper, through the wall… the Patriot passed Gene something that he put into his pocket, looking around furtively as he did it - and then Gene left… Charlie's horrified gaze turned to Bass…'What's Grandpa doing?' Bass dropped his gaze… 'There must be an explanation Charlie… your Grandpa's a doctor… maybe it's something about that…?' but they both knew that that wasn't what it was… Charlie slumped against Bass' shoulder…Willoughby was going to be much worse than either of them had expected…

The golden head, slowly dissolving back into its green cloud… retreated back to its usual station near the horses, the cloud patterns resuming their usual routine formations, quietly circulating…although every now and then, a burst of agitation skittered through it, disturbing the patterns and creating ripples and jagged rifts…

There was no way that Bass could sleep after all that… so he and Charlie shared second watch – getting up and going before dawn to make an early start… the urgency to get to Willoughby back for both of them… the thought of not going vanishing like particles of dust in the wind…

….

The next several days passed without incident…although both Bass and Charlie felt subdued after the revelations about Aaron and Gene… and the more lethal abilities of the Nano…They kept to the routine of drive, camp, work out, watch, sleep, eat and drink and drive again…They both had a feeling that things were speeding up… that there was more trouble coming…

They made love as often as they could… it was a joy, comfort and a release as well as a reinforcement of the depth of their feelings for each other… they gained strength from it, and even though the journey had been long and hard they were both physically fit and ready as they could ever be for what was to come…

The Nano had stayed mostly quiet after its night of questions, although it continued to report on the movements of any travellers in the area - notifying them that Thea and her group had made their observations and were on their way to the safe house… There had been little movement otherwise though – no travelers coming their way from Willoughby – strange in itself… the Nano had reported movement of soldiers on a couple of occasions – all heading for Willoughby but they had gone by a different road…otherwise they had seen no one.

…..

The 10mile sign was just ahead… Bass clicked the horses and looked across Charlie at the sign…then caught her eye, raising a brow in ironic salute… 'Here we are…the outskirts of good old Willoughby… So where's the turn off Charlie…?' she glanced back at him then back to the road, face set and serious… her eyes searching along the edge of the road ahead of them… 'It should be… right… there it is Bass…' and she pointed at a barely there track heading off into some scrub… He turned the horses onto the potholed and ridged track, forehead creased into a frown of concentration… 'We'll be lucky if the wagon makes it through this…'

A few miles later in the approaching dusk, with Bass nursing the horses and wagon gently the whole way along what had become an accident waiting to happen trail… they came upon a small, dusty homestead, obviously abandoned but still relatively intact – the garden overgrown, outbuildings cavernous and dilapidated but safe enough to hide the wagon inside and shelter the horses… There were rustling sounds in the back corners that were either feral cats or rats… but nothing else moved.

After Bass pronounced himself satisfied with the accommodation and comfort for the horses they went to check out the house… There was no sign of recent occupation in the tired old building although Charlie found a couple of knives hidden in spots that clearly yelled 'Miles was here' to anyone who knew him…Bass found a couple more – as well as a shotgun - in slightly more obscure places although he somehow managed to avoid being too cocky about it when Charlie was obviously impressed that he'd found them… 'I've known Miles a long time Charlie…' he said with a little smile… They decided to camp outside… the Nano had sent a sub-assembly out to track Thea's party down and let them know Bass and Charlie had arrived, all they had to do was wait…

Thea rode up – on her own, having left her troop camped and hiding in some woods on the outskirts of town – shortly before midnight. She swung down from her horse, and after giving it some water and tethering it near some grazing she sat down around the camp fire and gratefully accepted a cup of lemon and mint tea made from a few useful things Charlie had found in the garden… Thea was tired and looked it, her dark skin dry and chapped… clothing dusty and loose… she took a sip and sighed 'That's so nice…Well… after an apparent invasion of the town by a misplaced and extremely nasty war clan from which it was rescued in the nick of time by a large band of Patriots soldiers who just happened to be passing by…' she lifted her mug in an ironic salute… 'Your town is now a Patriot outpost within the great nation of Texas and Texas is going to want to know what's going on…'

Charlie moved restlessly… 'Do you know what's happened to my Mom…?' Thea nodded… 'We saw her…and Miles? Your Uncle?' Charlie nodded…'yeah…' They seem to be ok Charlotte, although your Mom was injured in the fighting… they're walking around now anyway though and she looks ok…' Charlie smiled gratefully 'Thanks Thea…' Whatever had happened, they were still her family and she was glad that at least her Mom and Miles were ok… they still needed to find out what was up with Grandpa Gene…. Thea frowned…'There was something really weird about it though…' she rubbed her free hand over her face then sipped some more tea… 'I thought you said that your Mom's name was on a wanted poster?' both Charlie and Bass nodded…'It was…' 'And there was a bounty of six ounces of diamonds' Charlie added… Thea frowned 'Well it's just that the Patriots seem to be treating your Mom with kid gloves – and Miles, although he's calling himself Stu at the moment…' Bass looked up at that… 'They're polite… even friendly…' she frowned… 'It's sort of sickeningly lovey dovey… Their commander – Truman, there's something really off about him…'

Thea went on… 'They did this Halloween thing, kids everywhere in costume, you know? After the war clan was… well I don't know how to put it because it was really strange… Some of the Patriots had been pretending to be war clan… We saw them get changed… they marched in, killed a whole lot of the clan, stashed what was left of them in the old trains in the train yard…and have been slaughtering a few at a time, loading them onto horses and taking them into the town as trophies…' Bass frowned… 'The saviour deal…' she nodded 'Yep…and its working… the town's on lockdown, curfew, gates locked at night, no one going in or out…' Charlie leaned back against Bass' shoulder… 'Well that explains why there's been no road traffic…' They talked for a bit longer, sharing more news, making plans and talking strategy, and then Thea left to rejoin her people…and to get some sleep…

After she left, Charlie turned to Bass…he opened his arms and she settled into them…'now tell me again Bass…' he kissed the top of her head… 'Again…? You are an insatiable woman Charlotte…and we mustn't be up too late tonight… we go in to town at dawn…' She smiled gently up at him 'I don't care… tell me again…I want to have it all in my head for tomorrow…' He leaned down and kissed her…loving the feel of her against him… 'Ok… here we go…' he tightened his arms around her and she leaned her head back against his shoulder… 'Charlotte… ' He cleared his throat…'You make the sun rise for me each day, you are my moon and stars at night and…' he looked into her eyes, his own serious and intent but with a little glint in them…'you are the one who keeps my heart beating…' she sighed and her eyes sparkled up at him… 'I love it… we'll find a guitar so you can sing it to me when you finish it…and I love you too Bass Monroe… ' He shrugged… pleased… it was a bit soppy and 'Ramble on' it wasn't but it was his first song…and the thing was he meant every word…

…..

The next morning they rode the horses into town, leaving the wagon and their supplies at the safe house… They stopped at a small house just outside of town… hiding the horses and checking things out from the rooftop with the binoculars… Charlie was starting to get impatient - wanting to get going with things now that they were here… but Bass checked her with hand on her arm…handing her the glasses… 'Town's overrun Charlie… We've got to be smart…' she looked…Khaki everywhere…and US flags…then she saw some riders coming down the hill towards the town gate…'Who the hell are they…?' she passed the binoculars back to Bass…he looked grim… 'Those are Texas Rangers…and if I'm not mistaken the one at the front is a certain John Franklin Fry and he might not feel like being friendly to our cause…' she looked a query 'Why's that…?' he raised a brow…'Well, your Uncle Miles tried very hard to kill him once' Charlie chewed her lip…'Oh…' like they really needed more enemies...

Charlie walked into town…keeping a low profile although she hadn't really needed to, there were guards on the gate but no one challenged her when she said she was there to visit her grandfather the doctor… she just walked in… She spotted Miles walking along the street and tracked him until she had a chance to catch his attention with a carefully aimed can kicked into his path…

He was so pleased to see her… He gave her a big hug, and told her he was heading out to find some evidence for the Texas Rangers but he was happy enough to follow her when she said she had something to show him under the bridge… She said that she'd brought them something important (the cases from Petra were still in the wagon but they'd deal with that later…), and after he asked her to go easy on her Mom, she asked him to promise her not to do anything too over the top himself…he shot a look at her…puzzled … then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Bass standing there…just in front of one of the rusting pylons… She thought for a moment that he was going to be ok… But then he looked at her, then back at Bass and headed off like a bull into a fence…she sighed…'Miles…' he didn't listen, just kept heading towards Bass 'What did you do to her…?' he demanded… Bass shook his head 'Miles…' Miles just kept going 'I know you… what did you do to her…?' Bass concentrated on just keeping out of the way while Miles got used to things… he met Charlie's gaze over Miles' shoulder and lifted his hands in surrender, asking for help… Charlie came closer…trying to get his attention…'Miles... I wouldn't let him do anything to me…' she rolled her eyes at Bass… 'That I didn't want him to do…' she finished… and finally got his attention… 'Charlie…' Miles still looked like he'd been hit with a brick…'You brought him here…?'

It took a little while but Miles finally calmed down enough to accept that Bass wanted to help in the fight against the Patriots… and that he wanted a truce… Charlie and Bass had thought they would need to take things in stages so they didn't fill him in on everything … although by the looks he was casting between Bass and Charlie he seemed to have an idea that there was more to tell… and it took a bit longer again for him to tell them of the situation with the Texas Rangers and the Patriots and that he had promised John Franklin Fry proof of the Patriot's masquerading as part of the Andover Clan to gain the confidence of the town… Then they were all off to the Railway yards to see if Charlie could track anything or if the Patriots had left any evidence around the carriages where they had kept the clan members prisoner…

For Charlie it was a surreal experience… she was walking between two of the most famous (or infamous) men of their time and they were behaving like estranged relatives trying to work out what to say to one another… Bass mentioned a city (?), Miles told him to drop it… Miles tried to find out where they'd been, Bass moved on to talking about the Patriots… Miles accused Bass of 'practically skipping…' then said it wasn't Butch and Sundance (whatever that was…) So at the rail yards she just left them to look through the carriages for evidence or whatever and went searching for tracks – or anything - dizzy with the things they left unsaid between them…some of them to do with her – with Bass and her, but so many to do with them… She felt their history as brothers, friends and enemies (?) circling around them like a weather pattern heavy with high's and lows and the possibility of storms…

She found some wagon tracks and they followed them…and followed them… and followed them…'These are going nowhere…' she complained as they came upon yet another deserted and falling down building… it was getting dark, she was tired, hungry, thirsty and she wanted Bass…and she wanted Miles to stop being an idiot…Then suddenly a shot rang out, then another… they ran behind the closest cover – some broken bits of wall… and suddenly both Miles and Bass seemed to drop into some mysterious shared secret soldier mode; Miles asking Bass how many he thought were there…seven or eight…? Bass nodded 'guess it is Butch and Sundance after all…' Miles shook his head… 'How do you want to play this?' Then Charlie got really pissed off because they started talking in city names – really fast – what the hell was that about anyway, she felt confused and – left out…? Then Bass tipped his head, winked at her and tossed her a rifle as they darted out from behind the crumbling stones…'Cover us…?' he threw back at her as he and Miles wove out into the night… she swore and did her job, although she was so looking forward to getting him back later….

Then, in between shots, although she couldn't see everything, she saw and heard enough to get a good idea of just how very good at killing Bass and Miles were when they were together… they fell into a poetry of seamless teamwork that made their movements over walls, around windows, behind tiny bits of cover, somehow finishing off Patriots at each turn seem effortless and almost supernatural… and in just a few minutes there was only one Patriot left and he was their prisoner… Apparently he'd been one of the Patriots who'd pretended to be a member of the clan, Miles recognized him and said he would be their proof…then knocked him unconscious…

Miles and Bass carried and dragged the man to the Mill on the river where Miles had arranged to meet John Fry and they tied him to a chair in one of the empty rooms… Charlie standing guard over him while Miles and Bass got things ready… Then, Aaron and Rachael arrived, and Rachael grabbed a gun and went to shoot Bass (of course…so predictable…), Miles got between them and was trying to get the gun… then Rachael asked Miles why he was protecting Bass… Which is when Charlie stepped out into her Mom's line of sight…and told her 'Because I brought him….' Her Mom just looked at her for a moment, which gave Miles the opportunity to take the gun off her… 'You brought him? Now why would you do that…?' her voice was so cold… Miles was getting quite antsy because his Texas Ranger was due and he asked them first, then when that wasn't working quickly enough, he told them all to go upstairs… please… then he tossed the gun to Bass and asked him to cover them from outside… and Rachael maintained her dagger sharp glare at Bass but also at her…all the way across the room…

Charlie, her mother and a very puzzled but absolutely alive and himself Aaron made their way up the narrow stairs to the top floor… and as soon as they were there Charlie turned to Aaron… She smiled and walked over to him… the picture of him on the floor with that awful slash across his chest horribly vivid in her mind… She was so glad the Nano had brought him back… Aaron had been like a second father to her, a good friend and a wonderful teacher… He held out his arms to her and she hugged him tight… 'It's good to see you Aaron…and I'm so glad you're ok…' He squeezed back…'It's good to see you too Charlie, in the flesh…' she started, and wondered what he meant by that… Had he seen her from a distance with his Nano's help too…? As if their lives weren't complicated enough just by being human…

He let go and she stepped back…trying not to look too hard at his chest… she blew a breath out between her teeth and turned to the inevitable and seriously tiresome confrontation with Rachael…'How are you Mom…?' Rachael just looked at her… 'I've been better Charlie…' Charlie tried, she really did… 'Mom I understand, I tried to kill him too when I first saw him…' Rachael's mouth worked…'But you didn't…then he said he wanted to help…. and so you brought him here… are you really that stupid…?' Charlie sighed… 'Maybe I am stupid… for coming back here…' She wasn't even going to try to talk about it… she just wanted to get the Patriot thing over and done with and get out of here so that she and Bass could get on with their lives… all three of them were quiet then… Rachael looking off into the distance, Aaron uncomfortable and Charlie – worried about what was happening downstairs…

Downstairs… John Fry had arrived and Miles was greeting him… Bass was watching from outside, just covering things in case John F decided to take the opportunity to gain himself some kudos with the Patriots and Texas by taking them the head of Miles Matheson… He was concentrating so hard on what was happening inside that he nearly jumped out of his skin when the golden head of Nano appeared beside him… 'Sebastian…' Bass went to shush it… then caught himself in time… he'd almost forgotten about their Nano companion… life was really quite strange at the moment…. 'What is it Nano' he whispered… 'I needed to inform you that the Patriot tied up in the other room was about to ingest enough poison from an implanted tooth to cause him to cease functioning…' Bass started to move… 'Shit… He mustn't do that, he's our proof…' The golden head placed itself in front of him… 'We have him under our control Sebastian… He is alive I assure you…' Bass let out a breath… 'Thank you… that's great…' he looked back into the room to check on Miles, then chuckled a little bit under his breath, it had felt a bit like old times with his brother back there and he was still buzzing a bit… Charlie had fitted in just fine too… He couldn't say the same about Rachael, although he couldn't really blame her for wanting to shoot him in the circumstances – and she didn't even know everything yet…

Miles and John F were still chatting but they were moving towards the room where the Patriot was tied up… he turned to Nano…'We'd better get round there…they'll need to talk to him and I have to let Miles know to get that tooth out first…' Bass ran around the side of the building to the other entrance to the room they had the Patriot in… He peered through the empty door frame into the room… the Patriot was still tied up but was sitting up, staring blankly at the wall in front of him… Bass was pretty sure that it was an extremely bad idea for him to go in that room – if either Miles or John F saw him they were quite likely to shoot him on reflex or general principle…and he really didn't want to shoot the ranger if he didn't have to after all the trouble they went to… but he could try to catch Miles attention…

Then it was too late… The two men in question came through the door and two sets of eyes fixed straight on him… John F went straight for his hand gun and Bass was suddenly looking right into the black hole at the end of the barrel… when suddenly a metallic golden head shot past him and stopped, hovering in space, right in front of the gun… Miles went very still, his shocked gaze going from Bass to the head then back to Bass… John Fry's mouth dropped open, his eyes went wide and his voice came out in a deep, hoarse croak with a Texan accent…'What the fuck…?'

…

AN: thanks so much for reading… and I really hope you enjoyed it – I am really enjoying writing it, I love having Bass and Charlie together already although there are of course lots of sticky bits still to come… I've got most of the next chapter worked out so shouldn't be too long I hope before the next post… please let me know what you think if you have a moment… all the best, Magpie


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